Common Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes
Spanish
Meaning
a- , ab-
not, far from
without
having to do with the abdomen
having to do with the
extremities
aden,adeno
aden,adeno
having to do with glands
algesi, alge, algio,
algo
algesia
having to do with pain
-algia
pam
having to do with the blood
vessels
ante,anter,antero
ante, anter, antero
before or in front of
anti
anti
against
arteri, arterio, arter
having to do with the arteries
ar, artro
having to do with the joints
auto-
self
bud or budding, particularly of
an early embrionic form
having to do with an eyelid or
eyelash
brady-
denotes slowness
bronqui, bronquio,
bronc, bronco
having to do with the air
passages of the lungs
carCln, carClno
having to do with cancer
cardi, cardio
cardi, cardio
having to do with the heart
carp,carpo
carp,carpo
having to do with the wrist
caud, caudo
caud, caudo
having to do with a tail
centesis
centesis
perforation of
cephalo
cefal, cefalo
having to do with the head
bronchi, broncho
.
.
ueilo
cheilo, cheil
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THE INTERPRliIiR'8
Ry
'J-·\j~.·~_ovt:o~f}'
having to do with the lip or
with a liplike structure
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BOOTS. PREFIXES. AND SUFFIXES
English
Spanish
Meaning
chlor, chloro
green
Clrcum-
clor, cloro
.
.
clrcum-, crrcun-
con
con
with
contra
contra
against
-clysis
-clisis
indicates irrigation or washing
out of
col, colo
col, colo
having to do with the colon
core, coreo, coro
core, coreo, coro
having to do with the pupil or
Ins
corne, corneo
corne, corne 0
having to do with the cornea
cost, costo
cost, costo
having to do with the ribs
crypt, crypto
cript, cripto
hidden
cramo
crane, craneo
.
.
Clan, cIano
having to do with the skull
cysto, cyst, cysti,
cystido
cist, cisto, quist
having to do with a sac, a cyst,
or a bladder, generally the
urinary bladder
cyto
cit, cito
having to do with cells
dactyl, dactylo
dactil, dactilo
having to do with the fingers
or toes
dent, dento
dent, dento
having to do with teeth
dermat,derunato,
derm, dermo
derunat, derunato,
derun, dermo
having to do with the skin
dexter,dextro,dextr
dextr, dextro
indicates the right side
diplo
dipl, diplo
double
dis
dis
free of
dorso, dorsi
dors, dorso
behind, or having to do with
the back
dromo
drom,dromo
having to do with conduction
or with running
dys-
dis-
.denotes difficulty, pain, or
abnorunality
ectasia
ectasia
having to do with dilation or
enlargement
cyan, cyano
around
blue, bluish
···AC~~
ROOTS. PREFIXES. AND SUFFIXES
English
Spanish
Meaning
ecto
ect, ecto
on the outside of
-ectomy
ectomia
surgical removal of
ectopic
ect6pico
out of place
emes, emeSIS
emes, emeSIS
having to do with vomiting
end,endo
end, endo
inside of
enter, entero
enter, entero
.having to do with the
intestines
epl
epl
on top of, above
erythro
eritr, eritro
red
esophag,esophago
esofag, esofago
having to do with the
esophagus
esthesio, aesthesio
estesia
having to do with the
perception of physical
sensations
F
ex-, extra-
ex-, extra-
outside of
fibr, fibro
fibr, fibro
having to do with fibers
gangli, ganglio
gangli, ganglio
a knot or knot-like structure
gastr, gastro
gastr, gastro
having to do with the stomach
-gen, -genesis
-gen, -genesis
denotes formation or
development of the condition
or entity described by the root
to which this suffix is attached
(e.g., carcinogen: a substance
tending to promote the
development of cancer)
gIngIve, gIngIvo
gingiv, gingivo
having to do with the gums
gloss, glosso
glos, gloso
having to do with the tongue
glue, gluco
glue, gluco
having to ·dowith glucose
(sugar)
-gnOSIS
-gnOSIS
indicates knowledge of
gyneco, gynaeco,
gyn,gyne,gyno
ginec, gineco
having to do with women
hemi
hemi
half
..
..
ROOTS. PREFIXES. AND SUFFIXES
AC~~
-,------------------------------Spanish
Meaning
hemo, haemo, hem,
haem, hema, haema,
hemat, hemato,
haemato
hem, hemo, hemat,
hemato
having to do with the blood
hepat, hepato
hepat, hepato
having to do with the liver
heter, hetero
heter, hetero
different
horn, homo
horn, homo
having to do with water or
with hydrogen
hyper-
hiper-
over and above the normal
hypo-
hipo-
below, less than
hystero
hister,histero
having to do with the uterus
or with hysteria
below, on the under side of
inter-
inter-
between, among
intra-
intra-
inside of
having to do with the iris
irid, irido
equal
..
inflammation of
JeJuno
yeyun,yeyuno
having to do with the jejunum
kerat, kerato
querat, querato
having to do with the cornea
kinesio, kine, cine
qwnesl, qUllleslo
having to do with movement
lacri, lachry
lacrim, lacrimo
having to do with tears
lapar, laparo
lapar, laparo
having to do with the loin or
with the wall of the abdomen
laryng,laryngo
laring, laringo
having to do with the larynx
later,latero
later,latero
having to do with the side
-lepsy
-lepsia
indicates an attack of
leuc, leuco, leuko
leuc,leuco
white, whitish
lumb,lumbo
lumb,lumbo
having to do with the lower
back or loins
.
.
.
.
·;ac~~
ROOTS, PREFIXES, AND SUFFIXES
English
Spanish
Meaning
lyso
lis,liso
having to do with dissolution
macro-
macro-
denotes largeness
mal
mal
bad, poorly
-manual
-manual
having to do with the hand
megal, megalo
megal, megalo
large or enlarged
melano
melan, melano
black
men, meno
men, meno
having to do with
menstruation
mes,meso
mes,meso
middle
-meter
-metro
denotes a measuring
instrument
nncro-
nnero-
denotes smallness
mono-
mono-
one
multi-
multi-
many
myel, myelo
miel, mielo
having to do with bone
marrow or with the spinal cord
myo, my
nn,nno
having to do with muscle
naso
nas, naso
having to do with the nose
neer, necro
neer, neero
having to do with death
nephro,nephr
nefr, nefro
having to do with the kidneys
neo-
neo-
new
neur,neuro
neur,neuro
having to do with nerves or
the nervous system
noct, nocti
noct, nocti
having to do with the night
nulli-
nuli-
none
-oid
-oid
resembling
-ologist
-ologo
specialist in
-ology
-ologia
the study of
-oma
-oma
tumor of
omphalo
omfal, omfalo
having to do with the
umbilicus
onych, onycho
ornc, omco
.
.
having to do with the nails
A'G~~
ROOTS. PREFIXES. AND SUFFIXES
English
Spanish
Meaning
ophthalm, ophthalmo
oftalm, oftalmo
having to do with the eye
orchcio,orchci,orctrido
orquid, orquido
having to do with the testicles
-OSIS
-OSIS
condition of
osteo
oste,osteo
having to do with bones
-ostomy
-ostomia
forming a new opening in
ot,oto
ot,oto
having to do with the ear
ovo, OVl,00
oofor,ooforo
having to do with eggs or the
ovanes
pancreato
pancreat, pancreato
having to do with the pancreas
para-
para-
close
-pedal
-pedal
having to do with the foot
pelv, pelvi
pelv, pelvi
having to do with the pelvis
peps, pepso, pepsI a
peps, pepso, pepSIa
having to do with the digestion
per-
per-
throughout
pen-
pen-
around
-pexy
-peXla
denotes fixation (physical)
phag,phago
fag, fago
having to do with eating
phalang, phalango
falang, falango
having to do with the bones of
the fingers or toes
pharyng, pharyngo
faring, faringo
having to do with the pharynx
phleb, phlebo
fleb,flebo
having to do with the veins
phobia
fob, fobia
fear of
-plasm
-plasmo
formative or formed material
-plast
-plast, -plasto
having to do with any
primitive living cell
-plegia, -plegic
-plegia, -plegico
having to do with paralysis or
stroke
pleur, pleuro
pleur, pleuro
having to do with the pleura,
the side, or a rib
pneo
pne,pneu
having to do with breathing
pneumo, pneumono
pneum, pneumo,
pneumono
having to do with the lungs
pod,podo
pod,podo
having to do with the foot
4-18
THE INTERPRETER'S Rx
ROOTS, PREFIXES, AND SUFFIXES
Spanish
Meaning
. poly-
poli-
denotes many
post-
post-
after
poster, postero
poster, postero
behind
pre-
pre-
before
pro-
pro-
indicates something that
comes before something else
or is a precursor to something
else
proct, procto
proct, procto
having to do with the rectum
and anus
psych, psycho
PSIC,PSICO
having to do with the mind
-ptosis
-ptosis
indicates downward
displacement or inclination
pub,pubo
pub,pubo
having to do with the pubis
pyelo, pyel
piel, pielo
having to do with the pelvis of
. the kidney
pyr,pyro
pIT, pITO
having to do with fire or heat
rect, recto
rect, recto
having to do with the rectum
ren, reno
ren, reno
having to do with the kidney
retin, retino
retin, retino
having to do with the retina
retro
retr, retro
backward or behind
-rhaphy
-rrafia
denotes the joining of
something in a seam or suture
-rhea
-rrea
denoting flow
rhino
nn, nno
having to do with the nose
-rrhage, -rrhagia
-rragIa
denotes excessive flow
salpingo
salping, salpingo
having to do with tubes,
specifically the Fallopian tubes
sclera
eseler, eselero
having to do with the sclera
(hard outer covering of the
eyeball)
sclero
seler, sclero
denotes hardness
-scope
-SCOPIO
indicates an instrument
VIeWIng
English
.
.
for
ROOTS, PREFIXES, AND SUFFIXES
English
Spanish
Meaning
semI-
serm-
half, partial
sinistro
sinistr, siniestro
indicates the left side
-sperm
-sperma
having to do with sperm or
seed
spermato, spermo
espermat,espermato
having to do with sperm
splen, spleno
splen, spleno
having to do with the spleen
stomat,stomato
stomat, stomato
having to do with the mouth
sub-
sub-
below
super-, supra-
super- supra-
above, more than
syn-
SIn-
indicates union or association
syphil, syphilo
sifil, sifilo
having to do with syphilis
-stasis
-stasis
indicates the maintenance of a
constant level without
increase or decrease
tachy-
taqui-
denotes speed, rapidity
therap, therapo
terap, terapo
having to do with treatment
therm, thermo
term, termo
having to do with heat
thorac, thoraco
torac, toraco
having to do with the chest
-tome, -tomy
-torno, -tomia
denotes cutting, incision
trans
trans
throughout or from one side to
the other
trauma
traumat, traumato
having to do with wounds and
.. .
InjurIeS
tri
tri
three
-tripsy
-tripsi
indicates the intentional
crushing of a structure
troph, tropho
trof, trofo
having to do with nutrition
tympan, tympano
timpan, timpano
having to do with the
tympanic membrane (the
eardrum)
uretero
ureter, uretero
having to do with the ureters
urethro
uretr, uretro
having to do with the urethra
ROOTS, PREFIXES, AND SUFFIXES
Meaning
having to do with urine
having to do with a vessel or
duct
ventro, ventri
having to do with the belly
viscer, viscero
having to do with the contents
of the abdomen
yellow