Match the word part to the correct meaning.

Suffixes Meaning "Pertaining to"

-ac -eal -ior -al -ical -ory -an -ial -ous -ar -ic -tic -ary -ine

Suffixes Meaning "Abnormal Condition"

-ago -iasis -osis -esis -ion -ia -ism

Suffixes

A suffix is always added at the end of a word to complete that term. In medical terminology, suffixes usually, but not always, indicate a procedure, condition, disorder, or disease. A combining vowel is used when the suffix begins with a consonant. For example, when neur/o (nerve) is joined with the suffix -plasty (surgical repair) or -rrhaphy (surgical suturing), the combining vowel o is used because -plasty and -rrhaphy both begin with a consonant. Neuroplasty (NEW-roh-plas-tee) is the surgical repair of a nerve. Neurorrhaphy (new-ROR-ah-fee) is suturing together the ends of a severed nerve. A combining vowel is not used when the suffix begins with a vowel. For example, the word root tonsill means tonsils. No combining vowel is needed when adding either -itis (inflammation) or -ectomy (surgical removal) to tonsill , because they both start with a vowel (Figure 1.3). These suffixes complete the term and tell us what is happening to the tonsils.

A noun is a word that is the name of a person, place, or thing. In medical terminology, some suffixes change the word root into a noun. For example, the cranium (KRAY-nee-um) is the portion of the skull that encloses the brain ( crani means skull, and -um is a noun ending). Suffixes that are commonly used as noun endings are shown in Table 1.3.

Suffixes as Noun Endings -a -um -y -e -us

A combining form includes a vowel, usually the letter o, added to the end of a word root. It is usually added to make the resulting medical term easier to pronounce. The rules for the use of a combining vowel are as follows:

When two word roots are joined, a combining vowel is always added to the first word root. A combining vowel is used at the end of the second word root only if the suffix begins with a consonant. For example, the term gastroenteritis combines two word roots with a suffix: when gastr (stomach) is joined with the word root enter (small intestine), a vowel is used to make the combining form gastr/o . The word root enter is joined to -itis without a combining vowel because this suffix begins with a vowel. Gastroenteritis (gas-troh-en-ter-EYE-tis) is an inflammation of the stomach and small intestine.