Greek and Latin in Scientific Terminology, Lecture 8

Andrew Dunning

30 October 2014

Last Class

Introduction to Latin

  • We examined:
    • Latin prefixes;
    • The history of Latin and it history in the ancient Roman world;
    • Scientific texts in late antiquity.

Negation: Džuganová (2006)

  • Negative prefixes:
    • a-
    • dis-
    • in-
    • non-
    • un-
  • Only one negative suffix: -less

Final Assignment

Vocabulary Analysis Paper

  • A slightly more advanced version of your weekly vocabulary analyses:
    1. Select twenty terms from two recent (2014) articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
    2. Analyse their etymology and meaning, showing their breakdown into individual roots (as in the vocabulary list).
  • Full details on the course website.
  • You should use at least three professional dictionaries (or other appropriate scholarly sources; a bibliography will be distributed) to support your findings. Sources are only acceptable if they have gone through a peer-review process (any academic dictionary).
  • Articles must be fully cited using either the author-date system of the Chicago Manual of Style (used in the syllabus) or another style relevant to your discipline.
  • Must be written in a prose format (i.e. not point-form).

Suffixes I

-al, (-ial, -eal)

  • ‘pertaining to’, ‘like’, ‘belonging to’, ‘having the character of’ (-alis)
  • abdominal, legal, oral, corporal

-ile, -il

  • ‘pertaining to’, ‘like’, ‘belonging to’, ‘having the character of’ (-ilis)
  • hostile, juvenile, virile, civil

-ar

  • ‘pertaining to’, ‘like’, ‘belonging to’, ‘having the character of’ (-aris)
  • lunar, solar, popular

-ine

  • ‘pertaining to’, ‘like’, ‘belonging to’, ‘having the character of’ (-inus)
  • bovine, marine, feminine

-ic, -tic

  • ‘pertaining to’, ‘like’ (-icus, -ticus)
  • pelvic, civic, lunatic

-ary

  • ‘pertaining to’, ‘connected with’, ‘having the character of’ (-arius)
  • military, literary, sanguinary

-an, -ane

  • ‘pertaining to’, ‘like’, ‘belonging to’, ‘having the character of’ (-anus)
  • urban, veteran, Canadian

-form (usually -iform)

  • ‘like’, ‘having the shape of’ (-formis)
  • reniform, muriform, oviform

-ate (occasionally -ite)

  • ‘having’, ‘having the shape of’, ‘characterized by having’ (-atus)
  • effeminate, accurate, dentate, favourite

-(u)lent, -(o)lent

  • ‘full of’, ‘disposed to’ (-lentus)
  • fraudulent, purulent, sanguinolent, virulent

-ose

  • ‘full of’ (-osus)
  • verbose, rugose, comatose

-ous (-ious, -eous)

  • ‘full of’, ‘having the character of’ (-osus, -us)
  • various, populous, nervous

-aceous

  • ‘belonging to’, ‘resembling’
  • herbaceous, cretaceous, chartaceous

Medieval Contributions to Science

Isidore of Seville: How not to write etymologies

  • Isidore of Seville was a bishop living in seventh-century Spain; his book Etymologies (Origines) was a very popular reference work in the Middle Ages.

Trans. by Dirckx (2007)

Frenesis is so called either because it is a disorder of the mind (G. phrenes) or because its victims grind their teeth (L. frendere ‘to gnash the teeth’). This is a form of mental disturbance with violent behavior and dementia, a choleric affliction.

Hydrophobia is literally ‘fear of water’ (Gr. hydor ‘water’, phobos ‘fear’); compare the Latin term morbus lymphaticus, from lympha ‘water’. This is caused by the bite of a mad dog, or even by coming into contact with its saliva spilled on the ground, which will provoke either man or beast to madness and rage.

Epilemsia amounts to an attack or assault (Gr. epilepsia) on both mind and body. It arises from a superabundance of black bile acting on the brain. It is also called the falling (Lat. caduca) sickness because during an attack the patient falls down. Lay persons call victims of this disorder lunatici because they imagine that the demons follow the phases of the moon in playing their tricks, and also larvatici. Still other names are the great, divine, or comitial disease. Great it certainly is, in that it can make a healthy man fall down and foam at the mouth. It is called comitialis because, in pagan times, if someone had such an attack on a day set aside for a public assembly [Lat. comitium], the assembly was postponed. Among the Romans such a day was set aside each year in January.

Vertigo means a whirlwind that stirs up earth and throws it around. In the vertex of the human body, arteries and veins can likewise stir up a wind from undue moisture and relaxation, and cause the eyes to spin, and that too we call vertigo.

Cancer, Latin for ‘crab’, is named for its similarity to the sea creature. According to the physicians, no medicine can cure such a lesion. Although the part in which it arises is often excised so as to prolong the patient’s life, death nonetheless eventually ensues.

Scholastic Humanism and the Creation of the University

  • Due to licensing restrictions, the images used for this section of the lecture cannot be posted online.

Roots, Part I

ACIN-

  • ‘grapes in a cluster’ (acinus)
  • ACIN-ar, pertaining to an acinus, a small seed or kernel, as of a grape; inter-ACIN-ar, among alveoli of a racemose gland; ACIN-iform, grape- or berry- shaped (applies to a type of silk gland in a spider)

AL-

  • ‘wing’, (ala)
  • ALA, any winglike projection or structure; ex-AL-ate, not having winglike appendages, apterous; ALI-FER-ous, having wings; ALI-NOT-um, the dorsal plate of an insect to which wings are attached

ANNUL-

  • ‘ring’ (annulus)
  • ANNULUS, any ringlike structure; ANNUL-ose, possessing rings

APIC-

  • ‘tip’, ‘summit’, ‘apex’ (apex)
  • sub-APIC-al, nearly at the apex; peri-APIC-al, around an apex; APIC-ul-ate, forming abruptly to a small tip, as a leaf

ARGENT-

  • ‘silver’ (argentum)
  • ARGENT-eous, like silver; ARGENTI-FER-ous, producing or containing silver; ARGENT-in-idae, family of small, silvery marine fishes

CAN-

  • ‘dog’ (canis)
  • CAN-in-idae, family which includes dogs, wolves and jackals; CAN-in-iform, having the form of a typical canine tooth

CAPIT- (-CIPIT-)

  • ‘head’ (caput)
  • CAPIT-al; BI-CEPS; CAPIT-ulum or CAPIT-ellum, knoblike swelling on the end of bone; CAPIT-ell-idae, family of worms with small heads

DUR-

  • ‘hard’, ‘dura mater’ (durus)
  • en-DURE; ob-DUR-ate; in-DUR-at-ion, the hardening of a tissue or part; epi-DUR-al, space between the dura mater and the wall of the vertebral canal; DUR-amen, hard darker central region of a tree stem, heart-wood

EQU-

  • ‘horse’ (equus)
  • EQU-estrian; EQU-it-at-ion; EQU-it-ant, overlapping saddle-wise, as leaves in a leaf-bud; EQU-idae, family of mammals having a single extant genus, Equus, which includes the horse, ass and zebra

LACRIM- (LACHRYM-)

  • ‘tear’ (lacrima)
  • LACRIM-al, pertaining to tears or to tear-secreting organs, the lacrimal bone; NASO-LACRIM-al, pertaining to the nose and lacrimal apparatus

LACUN-

  • ‘small pit’, ‘gap’ (lacuna)
  • LACUNA, a space between cells; a sinus; a cavity in bone; a small cavity or depression on the surface of lichens; a leaf gap; LACUN-oso-RUG-ose, having deep furrows or pits, as some seeds and fruits

LIMIN-

  • ‘threshold’ (limen)
  • e-LIMIN-ate; LIMEN, threshold, minimum stimulus or quantitative difference in stimulus that is perceptible, or boundary; LIMEN NASI, boundary between the osseous and cartilaginous portions of the nasal cavity; LIMIN-al, pertaining to a threshold, applies to stimulus, sensations

MAL-

  • ‘cheek’, ‘cheekbone’ (mala)
  • MAL-ar, pertaining to the cheek or to the zygoma

OCUL-

  • ‘eye’ (oculus); OCELL-, ‘little eye’ (ocellus)
  • MON-OC-le; OCELL-ate, like an eye or eyes, applies to marking in many animals; TRANS-OCUL-ar, extending across the eye; MON-OCULE, a one-eyed animal

PALAT-

  • ‘palate’, ‘roof of the mouth’ (palatum)
  • PALAT-ine, pertaining to or in the region of the palate (said of artery, bone, foramen); PALAT-itis, inflammation of the palate; PALAT-iform, resembling the palate

PARIET-

  • ‘wall’ (paries)
  • PARIES, wall of a hollow structure; PARIET-al, pertaining to or forming part of the wall of a structure (of cells, membrane, etc.), also the parietal bone in the roof of the skull; UTERO-PARIET-al, pertaining to the uterus and abdominal wall

PLANT-

  • ‘sole of the foot’, ‘sprout’ (planta)
  • PLANTA-, the sole of the foot, or the first tarsal joint of insects; PLANTI-GRADE, walking on the full sole of the foot; im-PLANT; trans-PLANT-at-ion

PONT-

  • ‘bridge’ (pons)
  • PONT-oon; PONTI-FF; PONS, a process or bridge of tissue connection two parts of an organ, or a convex white eminence situated at the base of the brain; CEREBRO-PONT-ine, relating to cerebrum and pons; PONTO-BULB-ar, pertaining to the pons and the medulla oblongata

PULVIN-

  • ‘cushion’ (pulvinus); PULVIL-, ‘little cushion’ (pulvillus)
  • PULVINUS, a cellular swelling at the junction of axis and leaf stalk; PULVILLUS or PULVIN-ulus, pad, process or membrane on the foot or between the claws, the lobe between each claw

SEN-

  • ‘old’ (senex)
  • SEN-ior; SEN-ate; pre-SEN-il-ity, premature old age; SEN-OP-ia, the change of vision in the aged in which persons formerly myopic acquire what seems to be normal vision because of presbyopia

Roots, Part II

AQU(A)-

  • ‘water’ (aqua)
  • AQUA-tic, AQUE-DUCT; AQUI-FER, a water-bearing bed or stratum of permeable rock, sand or gravel; AQUA REGIA, a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids which dissolves gold

BREV-

  • ‘short’ (brevis)
  • BREV-ity; ab-BREVI-ate; BREVI-PED, having short legs; BREVI-FOLI-ate, having short leaves; BREVI-LINGU-al, with a short tongue

CAPILL-

  • ‘hair’ (capillus)
  • CAPELL-ini; CAPILL-ary; CAPILL-ar-ec-TAS-ia, dilatation of the capillaries; CAPILL-aceous, having hairlike filaments

COLL-

  • ‘neck’ (collum)
  • COLL-ar bone, the clavicle; TORTI-COLL-ar, affected with wry-neck or TORTI-COLL-is

CORON-

  • ‘crown’ (corona); COROLL-, ‘little crown’ (corolla)
  • COROLLA, the petals of a flower; COROLL-aceous, pertaining to a corolla; CORON-illa, genus of flowers named for crown-shaped flowers

CORTIC-, CORT-

  • ‘bark’, ‘outer layer’ (cortex)
  • CORTEX, outer or more superficial part of an organ, the cerebral cortex; infra-CORTIC-al, beneath the cortex; CORTICI-PET-al, conducting toward the cortex

CRUC-

  • ‘cross’ (crux)
  • CRUCI-FY; ex-CRUCI-at-ing; CRUCI-FER, a plant with four petals and tetradynamous stamens, a member of the family Cruciferae; CRUCI-ate, cross-shaped

CUNE-

  • ‘wedge’ (cuneus)
  • CUNE-iform; CUNE-ate, wedge-shaped; prae-CUNE-us, the medial surface of the parietal or the quadrate lobe of the cerebrum

ENS-

  • ‘sword’ (ensis)
  • ENS-iform, sword-shaped, as the ensiform cartilage

FALC-

  • ‘sickle’ (falx)
  • FALX, sickle-shaped fold of dura mater; FALC-ate, sickle-shaped, hooked

FUG-

  • ‘to flee’, ‘to put to flight’
  • re-FUGE; FUGI-tive; NIDI-FUG-ous, leaving the nest soon after hatching; CEREBRI-FUG-al, applies to nerve fibres which pass from the brain to the spinal cord; LACTI-FUGE, a drug or agent that lessens the secretion of milk

LINE-

  • ‘line’ (linea)
  • LINE-ar; de-LINE-ate; LINE-at-ion, an arrangement of lines; LINE-ol-ate, marked by fine lines or striae

LUC-

  • ‘light’, ‘to shine’ (lux)
  • LUC-id; e-LUC-id-ate; NOCTI-LUC-ent, phosphorescent, luminescent; LUCI-FUG-al, fleeing from or avoiding light

MATR-, MATERN-

  • ‘mother’ (mater, maternus)
  • MATRO-CLIN-ous, derived from or inherited from the maternal line; MATR-ix, something within which something else originates or takes form or develops

MONT-

  • ‘mountain’ (mons)
  • MONTI-COL-ous, inhabiting mountainous regions; MONT-iculus, largest part of the superior vermis of the cerebellum; MONT-icules, small eminences or prominences

MULT-

  • ‘many’ (multus)
  • MULTI-CARIN-ate, having many carinae or ridges; MULTI-COST-ate, with many ribs, ridges or veins; MULTI-OCUL-ur, many-eyed

RET-

  • ‘net’, ‘network’ (rete)
  • RETE, a network or net; RET-ina, the light-receptive layer and terminal expansion of the optic nerve in the eye; RET-icle or RET-iculum, a delicate network of cell protoplasm

ROSTR-

  • ‘beak’ (rostrum)
  • ROSTRUM, beak or beaklike process; LONGI-ROSTR-al, with a long beak; ROST-ell-iform, shaped like a small beak

TORQU-, TORT-, TORS-

  • ‘to twist’
  • TORT; re-TORT; TORT-ure; dis-TORS-ion, the act of twisting; LATERO-TORS-ion, a twisting to one side; con-TORTU-PLIC-ate, applies to a bud with contorted and plicate leaves

VERM-

  • ‘worm’ (vermis)
  • VERMI-celli; VERM-icul-at-ion, wormlike or peristaltic movement, or fine, wavy markings; VERMI-LINGU-al, having a worm-shaped tongue; VERMI-PAR-ous, producing wormlike young, as do blowflies

Roots, Part III

BULL-

  • ‘bubble’, ‘blister’ (bulla); BULLI-, ‘to boil’
  • BULLA, a large bleb or blister forming either within or beneath the epidermis and filled with lymph; VESI-oluo-BULL-ous, characterized by both vesicles and bullae at the same time

COL-

  • ‘to inhabit’
  • FUNGI-COL-ous, living in or on fungi; LATEBRI-COL-ous, inhabiting holes; DESERTI-COL-ous, desert-inhabiting; RADICI-COL-ous, with the flower seated immediately upon the crown of a root, or dwelling in the root, as a parasite

CORI-

  • ‘skin’ (corium)
  • CORIUM, the deep layer of the skin; CORI-aceous, leathery (applies to leaves); CORI-aria, a genus of poisonous shrubs used in dyeing and tanning

CRIST-

  • ‘crest’ (crista)
  • CRISTA, a crest; CRISTA TERMIN-alis, crest on the wall of the right atrium; inter-CRIST-al, between the surmounting ridges of a bone, organ or process (used particularly in intercristal diameter of pelvis, the distance between two clear crests)

FAEC- (FEC-)

  • ‘excrement’, ‘sediment’ (faeces)
  • FAECA-LITH, concretion or calcified mass of faecal material (= COPRO-LITH); FAEC-al-oid, resembling faeces; FAEC-ula, the faecal pellet of an insect

FLA-, FLAT-

  • ‘to blow’
  • ex-suf-FLAT-ion, forced discharge of breath; FLAT-ul-ence, having gas in the stomach and intestinal tract

FLOR-

  • ‘flower’ (flos)
  • FLOR-ist; FLOR-id; ef-FLOR-esc-ence, eruption of exanthemous disease; extra-FLOR-al, situated outside the flower; pre-FLOR-at-ion, the form and arrangement of flowers in the bud

FORNIC-

  • ‘arch’ (fornix)
  • FORNIX, an arched body or surface, such as the fornix cerebri; FORNIC-al, like or pertaining to a fornix

GER-, GEST-

  • ‘to carry’, ‘to bear’
  • di-GEST, to convert food in assimilable form; in-GEST, to take substances into the body; OVI-GER, a leg modified for carrying the eggs in some pycnogonids (sea spiders)

GUTT-

  • ‘drop’ (gutta)
  • GUTT-er; GUTT-ate, having drop-like markings; GUTT-at-ion formation of drops of water on plants; GUTT-iform, drop-shaped; GUTT-ul-ate, in the form of a small drop, as markings

NAEV- (NEV-)

  • ‘birthmark’, ‘mole’ (naevus)
  • NAEVUS, birthmark; NAEV-al, of or related to a naevus; NAEVO-XANTHO-endo-THELI-oma, a group or group of yellowish brown nodules sometimes found on extremities in early childhood

NID-

  • ‘nest’ (nidus)
  • NID-at-ion, the renewal of uterine lining between menstrual periods; de-NID-at-ion, disintegration and ejection of superficial part of uterine mucus; NID-ament-al, applies to glands which secrete material for an egg-covering

PULVER-, PULV-

  • ‘dust’ (pulvus)
  • PULVER-ize; PULVI-PLUME, a powder-down feather; PULVER-aceous, covered with a layer of powdery granules

RADIC-

  • ‘root’ (radix)
  • RADIC-al; e-RADIC-ate; RADIC-ul-ose, having many rootlets; MONO-RADIC-ul-ar, having only one root; MYELO-RADIC-ul-itis, inflammation of spinal cord and roots of spinal nerves

RAM-

  • ‘branch’ (ramus)
  • RAMI-fic-at-ion; RAM-ate,branched; BI-RAM-ose, divided into two branches; RAMI-FLOR-ous, having flowers on branches

SAX-

  • ‘rock’ (saxum)
  • SAXI-CAV-ous, applies to rock-borers (as some molluscs), lithophagous; SAXI-FRAGE, plant of the family Saxifraga, perennial herbs frequently found growing in rock crevices; SAXI-COL-ous, inhabiting or growing around rocks

SCUT-

  • ‘shield’ (scutum)
  • ESCUT-cheon; SCUTE, an external scale, as of reptiles, fish or scaly insects; SCUT-ate protected by large scales or horny plates

SERR-

  • ‘saw’, ‘saw-tooth’ (serra)
  • SIERRA; SERR-at-iform, like a saw; sub-SERR-ate, somewhat notched or saw-toothed; SERRI-CORN-ia, a genus of beetles with saw-toothed antennae

STERCOR-, STERC-

  • ‘excrement’ (stercus)
  • STERCO-BIL-in, the brown pigment of faeces; STERC-oma, a fecalith, a hard faecal mass, usually in the rectum; STERC-ul-ia, a type of plant with a fetid odour

SULC-

  • ‘furrow’, ‘groove’ (sulcus)
  • SULC-ate, furrowed, grooved; BI-SULC-ate, having two grooves; SULCO-MARGIN-al, situated at the margin of the spinal cord adjacent to the ventral median fissure