1. 1
Yang Saeng Park, Ph. D.
yangsaengpark@yahoo.co.kr
Editorial Assistant Young Hae Lee
yinghui0826@hanmail.net
Major References:
• 金賢淑. 의학용어, 賢文社
• Davi-Ellen Chabner. The Language of Medicine
7th ed. 2004 Elsevier, Saunders, St. Louis

2. 2
1. Composition of Medical Terminology 30
2. The Integumentary System 48
3. The Skeletal System 55
4. Articulations 17
5. The Muscular System 24
6. The Nervous System 54
7. Special Senses 46
8. The Endocrine System 33
9. The Blood and Lymphatic System 39
10. The Cardiovascular System 52

3. 3
11. The Respiratory System 48
12. The Digestive System 80
13. The Urinary System 29
14. The Male Reproductive System 24
15. The Female Reproductive System 63
16. Psychiatric Disorders 21
17. Multiple System Diseases 10
18. Appendix 20
Total 693 slides/30 h

4. 4
1. Composition of Medical Terminology
Basic Word Structure
1. Word root: Foundation of the word
gastr/ic
root stomach
2. Suffix : Word ending
gastr/itis gastr/ic
suffix suffix
(inflammation) (pertaining to: ~의)

5. 5
Basic Word Structure
3. Prefix: Word beginning
epi/gastric
prefix (above: ~의 위)
4. Combining vowel: A vowel (usually o) linking the root to
the suffix or to another root
Cardi/o/gram electr/o/cardi/o/gram
root suffix root root suffix
combining vowel combining vowel

6. 6
Basic Word Structure
5. Combining form: Combination of word root with the
combining vowel (o, y, i)
1) Word root + Suffix
복합형 ‘o’는 다음에 오는 단어의 첫 자가 母音일 때는 생략
dermat/o + -itis = dermat/itis
(skin) (inflammation)
2) Word root + Combining vowel + Word root
어근과 어근 사이에서는 뒤에 오는 어근의 첫 자가 모음이라도
‘O’가 생락되지 않음
gastr/o + enteric = gastro/enteric
(stomach) (intestine)

7. 7
Basic Word Structure
3) Combining form + Word root + Suffix
Acr/o + cyan/o + -osis = acr/o/cyan/osis
(extremity) (blue푸른) (condition)

8. 8
Prefixes
(G) = Greek, (L) = Latin
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Prefixes Meaning Example .
a, an (G) without, not a/pnea
in, ein (L) not, lack in/somnia
im/balance
counter, contra (L) against, opposite contra/indicat/ion
ant, anti (G) anti/toxin
co, con(L), syn(G) with, together con/genital
hom/o (L), is/o(G) equal, same hom/o/graft
heter/o(L), all/o(G) other heter/opsia
all/erg/y 알러지
anis/o (G) unequal anis/o/cor/ia

9. 9
Prefixes
Prefixes Meaning Example .
anter/o, anter/ior(L) in front of, before anter/o/poster/ior
앞
poster/o, poster/ior(L) in back of, behind poster/o/anter/ior
뒤
super/o, super/ior (L) above, upward super/iority
위
infer/o, infer/ior (L) below, downward infer/iority
아래

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Prefixes
Prefixes Meaning Example .
ventr/o, ventr/al (L) belly, abdomen ventr/o/tomy
dors/o, dors/al (L) back dors/o/lumb/ar
등,
cephal/o, cephal/ic head cephal/o/dyn/ia
(G) 머리
caud/o, caud/al (L) tail caud/al
꼬리 꼬리의

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Prefixes
Prefixes Meaning Example .
inter/o, interior, inner, into intravenous
internal, intra (L) 안(쪽)
end/o, en, em (G) end/o/derm
exter/o, exter/ior outer, out extra/cell/ular
external, extra, e (L)
ect/o, ec, ex (G) ect/o/derm
medi/o, medi/al middle mes/o/derm
mid (L), mes/o (G)
later/o, lateral (L) to the side later/o/flexion
바깥(쪽)

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Prefixes
Prefixes Meaning Example .
dextr/o, dexter (L) right dextr/o/cardia
sinistr/o, sinister (L) left sinistr/o/cerebr/al
ambi/, amb/o (L) both, doubly ambi/dext/e 양손잡이
amphi (G) ambi/valence
inter/ (L) between inter/costal
trans/ (L) through, trans/position
across

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Prefixes
Prefixes Meaning Example .
ab (L), apo (G) away from ab/normal
ab/duct/ion
e (L), ex, ec, ef (G) out from ex/halation
ex/cretion
ad/(L), en, em (G) into ad/duct/ion
ad/hesion
ad/diction
de/(L) down from de/hydr/ation
resulting less than de/calcification

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Prefixes Meaning Example .
circum/(L), peri/(G) around circum/ocul/ar 눈주위의
peri/hepat/ic
per/ (L), dia/ (G) through per/for/ation
dia/gnos/is
ante/pre/ (L), pro/(G) before pre/operative
pro/gnosis
ante/nat/al
post/retro/(L), meta/(G) after post/mortem
post/partum
Supra/, super, epi/ (G) above, on supra/pubic
epi/gastric
Prefixes

15. 15
Prefixes Meaning Example .
Infra (L) beneath infra/stern/al
Sub/L) hypo/(G) under hypo/der/mal
Prefixes

16. 16
Prefixes
Prefixes Meaning Example .
chron/o (G) time chron/ic
acutus (L) sharp acute
tach/y (G) rapid tachy/cardi/a
brad/y (G) slow brady/cardi/a
nyct/o (G) night, dark nyct/al/opia
cycl/o (G) circle, cycle cycl/o/thym/ia

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Prefixes
Prefixes Meaning Example .
sem/i (L), hem/i one half semi/coma
hemi/gastr/ectomy
hemi/pleg/ia
pan all pan/periton/itis
poly(G), mult/(L) many, much polyuria
olig/o (G) few, small, scanty olig/uria
Hypo (G), sub(L) under, deficient hypo/glyc/emia
sub/acute
hyper(G), super(L) above, excessive hyper/trophy

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Prefixes
Prefixes Meaning Example .
micr/o (G) small micr/o/surgery
macr/o (G) large, long macr/o/cyte
megalo (G) great, large cardi/o/megaly
ultra (L) excessive, ultra/sono
beyond

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Prefixes Meaning Example .
nulli, nullus (L) none 0 nulli/para
uni, mono (G) one 1 uni/gravida
bi (L), di, diplo (G) two 2 dipl/opia
tri (L) (G) three 3 tri/ceps muscle
quadri(L), tetra (G) four 4 quadri/ceps M
quinque(L),penta(G) five 5 pentalogy of Gasul
hexa (G), sexi (L) six 6 hexal/dactylism
hepta (G), septi (L) seven 7 hepta/dactylism
Octa (G), octi (L) eight 8
nona (G), noni (L) nine 9
deca (G) ten 10
hecto (G) one hundred 100
killo (G) one thousand 1000
Prefixes

20. 20
Prefixes
Prefixes Meaning Example .
Chrom/o (G), color (L) color chrom/o/cyte
Leuk/o(G), alba, albin/o (L) white leuk/o/cyte
Erythr/o (G), rub(r)/o (L) red erythr/o/cyte
Cyano (G) blue cyan/osis
Chlor/o (G) green chlor/oma
Xanth/o, cirrh (G), yellow xanth/oma
flav/o, leute (L)
Poli/o (G) gray poli/o/myel/itis
Melan/o black melan/o/derma
Purpur/o (L) purple purpur/a

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Prefixes
Prefixes Meaning Example .
Cry/(L) cold cry/o/surgery
Febr/(L) fever, fire febr/ile
Therm/ (L), calor/(G) heat dia/therm/y
calor/y
Malac/o (G) soft oste/o/malac/ia
Scler/o, scirrh/o(G), dur(L) hard scler/osis
Cac, cac/o (G) bad, ill cac/hexia
Eu (G) well, good, eu/phor/ia
normal eu/pnea
Dys (G) difficult, bad dys/pnea
Mal (L) abnormal, bad mal/nutrition

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Prefixes
Prefixes Meaning Example .
Pseudo false pseud/o/cyesis
Dis/(L) separate, undo dis/sect/ion
dis/infection
Xer/o (G) dry xer/o/stomia
Orth/o (G) straight, correct orth/o/pnea
Ne/o (G) new, strange ne/o/plasm
Crypt/o (G) hidden, concealed crypt/orchism
Ankyl/o (G) bent, adhesion ankyl/o/glossia
immovable

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Suffixes
Suffixes Meaning Example .
-sis (G) morbid process hemoly/sis
-osis (G) “ nephr/o/hydr/osis
-asis (G) “ bronchiect/asis
-esis (G) “ pseudocy/essis
-iasis (G) “ nephr/o/lith/iasis
-ia, y (G) condition, state akines/ia
anencephal/y
-ism (G) condition, state hyper/thyroid/ism
-sy (G) disease, symptom lepro/sy
-oma (G) tumor, swelling aden/oma
-us (L) condition, state hydro/cephal/us

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Suffixes symptom & sign
Root+Suffixes Meaning Example .
-algia, -dynia (G) pain neur/algia
my/algia
-ptosis (G) downward gastr/o/ptosis
displacement
-cele (G) tumor, hernia, cysto/cele
swelling
-itis (G) inflammation neur/itis
-penia (G) deficiency erythr/o/penia
-lithiasis (G) stone (lith/o) nephr/o/lithiasis

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Root+Suffixes Meaning Example .
-plasm, -plasia (G) formation neo/plasm
-cyte (G) cell erythr/o/cyte
-pathy (G) disease encephal/o/pathy
-emesis (G) vomiting hyper/emesis
-mania (G) madness pyro/mania
-somnia (G) sleep in/somnia
-mnesia (G) remember a/mnesia
-phobia (G) fear claustr/o/phobia
-philia (G) attraction pedo/philia
Suffixes

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Root+Suffixes Meaning Example .
-sclerosis (G) hardening arteri/o/sclerosis
-malacia (G) softening oste/o/malacia
-stenosis (G) narrowing mitral stenosis
-ectasia (ectasis) (G) dilation bronchi/ectasis
expansion
-megaly (G) enlargement cardi/o/megaly
-staxis hemorrhage epi/staxis
-stasis, stasia (G) stop, make stand hem/o/stasis
-plegia (G) paralysis, stroke hemi/plegia
Suffixes

27. 27
Root+Suffixes Meaning Example .
-plexy (G) stroke apo/plexy
-emia (G) blood condition an/emia
leuk/emia
-uria (G) urine condition glycos/uria
-lysis (G) destruction, separation hem/o/lysis
-logy (G) study histo/logy
-cyesis (G) pregnancy pseud/o/cyesis
-partum (L) birth, labor post/partum
-trophy (G) nourishment, a/trophy
development
-esthesia sense an/esthesia
Suffixes

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Root+Suffixes Meaning Example .
-osmia (G) smell an/osmia
-op(s)ia (G) see dipl/opia
-phonia (G) sound a/phonia
-phagia (G) eat poly/phagia
-pepsia (G) digest dys/pepsia
-dipsia (G) thirst poly/dipsia
-pnea (G) breathe hyper/pnea
-rrhea (rhea) (G) flow, discharge rhin/orrhea
-rrhage (rhage) (G) bursting forth hem/orrhage
-rrhexis (rhexis) (G) rupture enter/orrhexis
Suffixes

29. 29
Suffixes therapy & operation
Suffixes Meaning Example .
-tomy (G) incision, section laparo/tomy
-ectomy (G) excision gastr/ectomy
-stomy (G) artificial opening gastr/o/jejun/o/stomy
-rrhaphy (G) suture perineo/rrhaphy
-plasty (G) surgical repair rhino/plasty
shaping
-pexy (G) fixation nephr/o/pexy
-lysis (G) separation nephr/o/lysis

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Suffixes Meaning Example .
-lapaxy (G) crushing & lith/o/lapaxy
removal
-tripsy (G) crushing nephr/o/lithi/o/tripsy
-clasis (clasia) (G) surgical fracture oste/o/clasis
-clysis (G) irrigation rect/o/clysis
-centesis puncture thorac/o/centesis
-desis (G) fusion, binding arthr/o/desis
Suffixes therapy & operation

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Suffixes
Suffixes Meaning Example .
-gram (G) record electrocardio/gram
-praph (G) recording instrument electrocardio/graph
-graphy(G) recording method electrocardio/graph
-scope (G) examining instrument micr/o/scope
-scopy (G) examining method micr/o/scopy
-meter (G) measuring instrument pelvi/meter
-metry (G) measuring method pelvi/metry
-opsy (G) vision bi/opsy
aut/opsy
-tome (G) cutting instrument derma/tome

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Suffixes
Suffixes Example .
Singular Plural Singular Plural
-ma -mata aden/oma adeno/mata
-on -a gangli/on gangli/a
-us -i calcul/us calcul/i
-um -a atri/um atri/a
-a -ae burs/a burs/ae
-is -es pelv/is pelv/es
-ix -ces appendix appendices
-ex -ices cortex cortices
-ax -aces thorax thoraces