Introduction to Veterinary Medical Terminology Building Blocks of Words

It’s all Greek to me! Some may say that veterinarians speak Greek, they are right! Most terms used in veterinary medicine are based on Latin or Greek. Latin is the universal language of medicine and the Greeks were the founders of modern medicine. The following will be some common examples, be sure to record these terms on your worksheet.

Latin (Scientific) Adjectives: Common Name Latin Derived Adj. Dog Canis Canine Cat Felis Feline Horse Equus Equine Cattle Bos Bovine Sheep Ovis Ovine Goat Capra Caprine Pig Sus Pocine Bird Avis Avian Mouse Mus Murine Rat Rattus

The Building Blocks Suffix Root Prefix Combining Form

Word Structure Root Word Prefix Suffix Combining Vowel Compound Word The key to learning terminology is to break down each word into parts and learn the most common roots, prefixes, suffixes, and combing forms.

Root Word Suffix Prefix Root Definition - the foundation of the word Gives substance to the meaning. Like a box car in a train, they give the train volume and substance. They come in a variety of different sizes and volumes. There can be more than one in a word. Suffix Root Prefix Combining Form

Root Word Examples - 1 Cardi/o – Heart Cephalo/o – Head Dent/o – Tooth, Teeth Mamm/a, Mamm/o – Mammary Gland Nas/o – Nose, Nasal

Root Word Examples - 2 Ophthalm/o – Eye Ot/o – Ear Steth/o – Chest Thorac/o – Thorax Trache/o - Trachea

Root Word Examples - 3 Abdomin/o – Abdomen Copr/o – Feces Cyan/o – Blue Derm/o, Dermat/o – Skin Enter/o – Intestines

Root Word Examples - 4 Erythr/o – Red Blood Cell Gingiv/o – Gums Hepat/o – Liver Hydr/o – Water Peritone/o – Peritoneum Membrane

Word Structure Root Word Prefix Suffix Combining Vowel Compound Word

Prefix Word that precedes/BEFORE the root, modifying the roots meaning to form a new word. Alone they have some meaning, but they are not complete words without the rest of the word parts. They are like the train’s engine with its whistle. Leads the train and announces the coming train. Without the box cars, together with the engine there is not a complete train.

Prefix Examples - 1 A-, an- Not, Without Anti- Opposing, Against Brady- Slow De- Away from Dys- Difficult

Prefix Examples - 2 Hyper- High, Above, Beyond Hypo- Low, Below, Behind Mal- Bad, Poor Poly- Many

Prefix Examples - 3 Ep-, Epi- On, Upon Eu- Normal Iso- Equal, Same Multi- Many, Much Neo- New

Prefix Examples - 4 Pan- All Peri- Around Post- After Pyo- Pus Uni- Single Celled

Prefix brady + cardi/a bradycardia Example: Prefix + Root Word New word brady + cardi/a bradycardia “slow” “heart” slow heart (rate)

Exercise on Prefixes ________ biotic (against life) ________ thermia (high temperature) ________ horn (remove the horn) a-, an- (without or not having) anti - (against) brady- (slow) contra- (against, opposed) de- (remove, take away, loss of) dys- (difficult, troubled) pyo - (pus) hyper- (high)

Word Structure Root Word Prefix Suffix Combining Vowel Compound Word

Suffix Written AFTER a root word to form a NEW word. Follows root word altering the words meaning. Determines if word is a noun, adjective or other type of word. Like a caboose, it is always last.

Suffix Examples - 1 -ectomy – Removal of -emia – Blood condition -pnea – Breathing -iasis – Infestation or infection -itis – Inflammation

Suffix Examples - 2 -ism – State or condition -logy – Study of -oma – Tumor -penia – Deficiency of -scope – Instrument for exam -tomy – Cutting, Incision

Suffix Examples - 3 -al –ic, -ac, -ous– Pertaining to -graphy – Recording of -lysis- Destruction of -megaly– Abnormally Large -natal– Birth

Suffix Examples - 4 -osis – Abnormal condition -spasm– Involuntary Contraction

Word Structure: Suffix Example: Root Word + Suffix New word Tonsil + -itis Tonsilitis -itis = inflammation of Inflammation of the tonsils

Exercise on Suffixes Hyper- adrenocortic -________ (state…) (Adrenal cortex) Acar/i -________ (tick/mite infestation) Gastr/i-________(inflammation of the stomach lining)

Word Structure Root Word Prefix Suffix Combining Vowel Compound Word

Word Structure: Combining Vowel Vowel commonly used: “o” General Rule 1: If the suffix starts with a consonant, connect the rootword and the suffix with the vowel “o”. Example 1: Root Word + CV Suffix New word Cardi + -o- -logy Cardiology “Heart” study of Study of the heart

Word Structure: Combining Vowel Vowel commonly used: “o” General Rule 2: If the suffix starts with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u) DO NOT USE the vowel “o”. Just attach the suffix to the root word. Example 2: Root Word + Suffix New word Hepat/o -osis Hepatosis liver -disease process - disease process in the liver

Word Structure: Combining Vowel Vowel commonly used: “o” General Rule 3: If the suffix begins with the same vowel as the root word, DO NOT repeat the vowel. Example 3: Root Word + Suffix New word Cardi -itis Carditis heart -inflammation of - inflammation of the heart

Word Structure Root Word Prefix Suffix Combining Vowel Compound Word

Word Structure: Compound Word Rootword 1 + CV + Rootword 2 + Suffix New word Heart + worm Heartworm Medi + “o” + later + -al Mediolateral Crani + “o” + caud/al + -al Craniocaudal Dors + “o” + palm +-ar Dorsopalmar

Review: Word Structure What is a Root Word? Where can you find a prefix in a word? Where can you find a suffix in a word? What is the most commonly used vowel? a. If first letter of suffix = consonant? b. If first letter of suffix is = vowel? c. If first letter of suffix = last letter of RW? Create a compound word.

Create a Word Activity For each group there are three “dice.” Prefix Rootword Suffix Each person is to take three rolls of each dice to create three words. Write out the correct notation, including combining vowels/words and its meaning.