Greek Suffixes: Noun-Forming

Vocabulary List 2 (Greek) - Suffixes, Noun-forming

• A suffix determines a word's part of speech and is grouped into noun-, adjective-, or verb-forming categories.

• aemia, (-emia)

• Means condition of the blood or congestion of blood.

• Examples: An-aemia, leuk-aemia, anox-aemia.

• agra (ἄγρα; ἀγρέω)

• Denotes painful seizure.

• Examples: ARTH-AGRA means muscular pain in the joints, MEL-AGRA means muscular pain in the limbs.

• arium, -arion (-αριον)

• Means little.

• Examples: CON- + -arium = conarium which relates to the pineal body and Hipp-arion represents a genus of extinct three-toed mammals related to horses.

• geny, -gony (GEN- + -y)

• Signifies product, production, or generation.

• Example: COSM-o-gony.

• iasis (= -ia-sis) (-ασις)

• Denotes diseased condition and refers to parasite infestation.

• Examples: psor-iasis, ameb-iasis, elephant-iasis.

• Note: -ασις was especially used for nouns describing infestation, hence its modern usage.

• ician (from French -icien)

• Means specialist in or practitioner of.

• Examples: pediatr-ician, mus-ician.

• idae, -ida, -id (-ιδ-)

• Means descended from or related to.

• Example: Acar-idae and arachn-ida/arachn-id

• idium, -idion (-ιδιον)

• Indicates little.

• Examples: CONI + -idium = conidium which relates to a spore produced asexually by various fungi, BAS- + -idium = basidium which relates to a microscopic club-shaped sporebearing structure produced by certain fungi and PLAST- + -idion = plastidion which refers to any of the various small bodies of specialized protoplasm lying in the cytoplasm of cells.

• in (-inus)

• Denotes chemical substance.

• Examples: antitox-in, insul-in, epinephr-ine.

• Note: Originally a Latin suffix, it was brought into German and then specially used in chemistry, where it was combined with many Greek roots.

• isk, -iscus (-ισκος)

• Indicates little.

• Examples: aster-isk (little star), lemn-iscus (little ribbon; a secondary sensory pathway of the central nervous system), men-iscus (little moon; a crescent or crescentic body).

• ism, -ismus (-ισμος)

• Means condition of or belief in.

• Examples: alcohol-ism, metabol-ism, laryng-ismus, strab-ism

• itis (-ιτις)

• Means inflammation of or inflammatory disease of.

• Examples: appendic-itis, arthr-itis, tonsill-itis.

• ium, -ion (-ιον)

• Means little.

• Examples: bacter-ium (little rod), pod-ium (little foot), thec-ium (little case; the sporebearing layer in fungi), STOM-ion (little mouth; the midpoint of the oral fissure determined with lips closed).

• Note: Do not confuse with the homonymous suffix -ium from List 1.

• logy (= LOG-y)

• Signifies science of.

• Examples: physio-logy, cardio-logy, psycho-logy.

• lysis (= LY-sis) Mean dissolution of/by or surgical division or separation.

• Examples: hydro-lysis, nephro-lysis, electro-lysis.

• mania (= MAIN-ia)

• Means madness for/about.

• Examples: klepto-mania, dipso-mania, ego-mania, mono-mania.

• Note: the Greek root MAIN- means fury; anger. It is not learned as a separate root and mainly now used either in this compound suffix or as the stand-alone noun 'mania'.

• meter and -metry (= METR-re / METR-y)

• Means instrument for measuring, measure, and art or science of measuring.

• Examples: thermo-meter, anemo-meter, peri-meter, tele-metry, opto-metry, sym-metry

• Note: The root METR- (measure) is basically used only within one of these compound suffixes today. Don't confuse it with the homonymous stem METR- (uterus) of List 3. The difference in Greek is the vowel length: μετρ- and μητρ- respectively.

• nomy (= NOM-y)

• Means science of, system of laws governing, and rules for the direction of.

• Examples: agro-nomy, astro-nomy, eco-nomy, auto-nomy

• Note: The root NOM- (law) is basically only used today within this compound suffix and so is not learned separately. Don't confuse it with the homonymous Latin stem NOM- (name) of List 6.

• oma, -omat- (-ομα, -οματος)

• Denotes tumors and other abnormal growths

• Examples: melan-oma, carcin-oma, haemat-oma, glauc-oma

• Note: When followed by another word part, the form is -omat-. E.g. melan-omat-ous.

• Extra note: this ending (-ωμα) was originally just a way to make any noun in Greek. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was favored by doctors for describing different medical conditions, and in the 19th century it began being used for cancers especially.

• pathy (= PATH-y)

• Means disease of or treatment of disease of or by.

• Examples: osteo-pathy, neuro-pathy, hydro-pathy.

• phagia (PHAG-ia)

• Means the habit of eating.

• Examples: anthropo-phagia, zoo-phagia, auto-phagia

• phobia (PHOB-ia)

• Means abnormal fear of.

• Examples: claustro-phobia, agora-phobia, hydro-phobia

• Note: The Greek root PHOB- means fear. It is not learned as a separate root and is mainly used in this compound suffix.

• plasty (PLAST-y)

• Means formation, plastic surgical operation.

• Examples: arthro-plasty, ana-plasty, hystero-plasty.

• Note: Nowadays the root PLAST- (mold, form) is basically only used within this compound suffix.

• rrhea

• Means flux or abnormal flow or discharge of.

• Examples: dia-rrhoea, gono-rrhoea, logo-rrhea

• Note: The spelling is the transliteration into English of the Greek word ῥοία, ‘a flowing'.

• stomy (STOM-y)

• Signifies the making of a surgical opening.

• Examples: gastro-stomy, arthro-stomy, hepaticoentero-stomy

• ter (or -re, after a root ending in -t, from French influence) (-τηρ)

• Means of or place of.

• Examples: sphinc-ter, thea-tre

• therapy (= THERAP-y)

• Signifies treatment of or by.

• Examples: chemo-therapy, psycho-therapy, helio-therapy

• Note: Taken straight from the Greek noun θεραπεία, which means ‘service, healing service'. It is, of course, used as a stand-alone noun .

• tomy (= TOM-y)

• Means surgical operation on, surgical cutting of.

• Examples: glosso-tomy, gastro-tomy, lobo-tomy => -ectomy (= ec-TOM-y): ‘surgical operation', 'surgical removal of append-ectomy, tonsill-ectomy

• uria (= UR-ia)

• Signifies Condition of the urine.

• Examples: haemat-uria, aceton-uria, noctambulmin-uria

• us (Greek -ος to Latin -us)

• Means condition or person.

• Examples: anot-us which relates to a lizard without external ears and hydrocephal-us which relates to a condition in which fluid accumulates in the brain.

Vocabulary List 2 (Greek) - Suffixes, Adjective-forming

• genous, -genic, -gen (GEN- + -ous/-ic)

• Means Producing or produced.

• Examples: photogenic, endogenous, cytogenous

• Note: the root GEN- is Latin and will be learned in List 10.

• oid, -ode (-ωδης, -οειδης)

• Signifies like or having the shape of.

• Examples: android (human-shaped), spheroid

• philous, -philic (PHIL- + -ous/-ic)

• Signifies loving or thriving in. Examples: necrophilic, anemophilous (liking the wind).

Vocabulary List 2 and 4 (Greek) - Stems

ACOU-, (ACU-) (ἀκούω)

• Means to hear.
• Examples: ACOU-stics, an-ACU-sia (complete deafness)

AER- (ἀήρ)

• Means air or gas.
• Examples: AER-0-CYST (an air vescicle of algae), AER-o-CYST-o-SCOP-y (examination of the interior of the urinary bladder with a cystoscope, with the bladder distended with air), AER-0-PHYTE ( a plant which grows attached to an aerial portion of another plant)

Vocabulary List 4 (Greek) - Suffixes, Noun-forming

• hedron (HEDR-on)
• Means solid figure having a (specified) number of faces.
• Examples: icoso-hedron, dodecahedron

Vocabulary List 4 (Greek) - Numerical Stems

HEMI- (ἡμι-)

• Means half.
• Examples: HEMI-BRANCH (gill having filaments on one side only, a halfgill); HEMI-NEPHR-ectomy (removal of part of a kidney); HEMI-an-OP-ia or HEMI-an-OP-sia (blindness over half the field of vision); HEMI-ALG-ia (pain affecting one half of the body).

MON- (μόνος)

• Means single or one.
• Examples: MON-ARCH; MON-o-GRAPH (written study of a single specialized subject or an aspect of it); MON-o-CARP-ic (plant flowering only once and then dying); MON-0-TRICH-ous (having only one flagellum at one pole).

PROT- (πρῶτος)

• Signifies first, original, or primitive.
• Examples: PROT-0-CEPHAL-on (first of six segments composing an insect's head); PROT-0-PHYT-e (any plant of the lowest and most primitive type); PROT-o-ZO-an (a unicellular or noncellular animal organism)

DI- (δι-)

• Signifies ‘twice', 'double'.
• Examples: DI-LEM-ma (a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives); DI-PLO-ma ('folded paper'); DI-ARTHR-osis (a freely movable articulation).
• Note: Do not confuse with prefix dia- ‘through' of List 1 or the Latin prefix dis- /di- 'apart' of List 6.

DICH- (δίχα)

• Means in two.
• Examples: DICH-o-tomy (a division or contrast between two things (in botany, repeated branching into two equal parts); DICH-OP-tic (having the borders of the compound eyes separate, or having the eyes wide apart (of an insect)

DEUT-, DEUTER- (δεύτερος)

• Signifies second.
• Examples: DEUTER-AGON-ist (the person second in importance to the protagonist in a drama); DEUTER-o-nomy (‘second law'); DEUTER-0-GENE-sis (second phase of embryonic development)

TRI- (τρεῖς)

• Means three.
• Examples: TRI-POD; TRI-CYCLE; TRI-CHROMAT-ic (able to perceive the three primary colours); TRI-DACTYL (having three digits)

TETR(A)- (τετράς)

• Means four.
• Examples: TETRA-meter; TETRA-CHEIR-ous (having four hands); TETRA-CYCL-ic (with four whorls)

PENT(A)- (πέντε)

• Means five.
• Examples: PENTA-GON; PENTA-meter; PENTA-DACTYL (having all four limbs normally terminating in five digits

HEXA- (ἕξ)

• Means six.
• Examples: HEXA-GON-al; HEXA-meter; HEXA-GYN-ous (having six pistils); HEXA-hedron (POLY-hedron having six faces); HEX-ose (any monosaccharide containing six carbon atoms)

HEPT(A)- (ἑπτά)

• Means seven.
• Examples: HEPTA-GYN-ous (seven pistils); HEPTA-HYDR-ate (compound with seven molecules of water)

OCT(A)- (ὀκτώ)

• Means eight.
• Examples: OCTO-PUS; OCT-ODONT (eight teeth); OCT-OPHTHALM-us (eight eyes)

ENNE(A)- (ἐννέα)

• Means nine.
• Examples: ENNE-ad (group of nine); ENNEA-GON (nine-sided polyhedron); ENNE-ANDR-ous (nine stamina

DEC(A)- (δέκα)

• Means ten.
• Examples: DECA-logue (Ten Commandments); DECA-HYDR-ate (compound with ten molecules of water); DECA-hedron (ten-sided polyhedron); DECA-POD (ten legs).

HECT- (ἑκατόν)

• Means hundred.
• Examples: HECT-ARE (one hundred ares (10,000 square metres)); HECT-o-GRAM (one hundred grams)

KILO- (χίλιοι)

• Means one thousand.
• Examples: KILO-CALOR-ie (one thousand calories (equal to one large calorie)); KILO-GRAM (one thousand grams).

Vocabulary List 3 (Greek) - Stems

AGON- (ἀγών)

• Means contest or to struggle.
• Examples: AGON-y; AGON-ize; AGON-ist (a muscle whose contraction moves a part of the body directly; a substance which initiates a physiological response when combined with a receptor)

ALL- (ἄλλος)

• Signifies other or different.
• Examples: ALLO-plasty relates to a plastic operation in which material outside the human body is used; ALLO-PATR-ic relates to animals or plants found in separate nonoverlapping geographical areas

AMYGDAL- (ἀμυγδάλη)

• Means almond or tonsil.
• Examples: AMYGDAL-itis relates to inflammation of the tonsils, tonsillitis; AMYGDAL-ae relates to almond-shaped structures in the medial temporal lobes of the brain, responsible for memory and emotional reactions

ΑΝΤΗ- (ἄνθος)

• Signifies flower.
• Example: ANTH-o-philous means attracted by flowers, feeding on flowers.

ARCH(E)- (ἀρχή)

• Means ancient, beginning, primitive.
• Example: ARCH-ENTER-on relates to the embryonic alimentary cavity

ARTHR- (ἄρθρον)

• Signifies joint or articulation.
• Example: dys-ARTHR-ia relates to impairment of speech articulation

AUT- (αὐτός)

• Means self.
• Examples: AUT-OPS-y; AUT-o-CYT-o-TOX-in (cell toxin produced against the cells of one's own body); AUT-ODONT (pertaining to teeth not directly attached to jaws, as in cartilaginous fish); AUT-o-PHAG-ia (self-consumption; biting of one's own flesh, as in dementia).

BALL-, BOL-, BLE- (βάλλω)

• Means to throw or to put.
• Examples: BALL-ist-ics; sym-BOL; em-BOL-ism (destruction of a blood vessel by foreign matter lodged in it); em-BOL-o-LAL-ia (insertion of meaningless words into speech).

BLEPHAR- (βλέφαρον)

• Signifies eyelid.
• Examples: a-BLEPHAR-y (congenital alsence of the eyelids); BLEPHAR-o-plasty (operation for the restoration of the eyelids); BLEPHAR-osis (adhesion of the eyelids to the globe of the eye or to each other).

CARCIN- (καρκίνος)

• Means originally crab, means cancer.
• Examples: CARCIN-o-GEN (any cancerproducing substance); MAST-o-CARCIN-oma (malignant mammary tumour).

CARDI- (καρδιά)

• Signifies heart.
• Example: MY-o-CARDI-al (pertaining to the muscular tissue of the heart).

CEPHAL- (κεφαλή)

• Means head .
• Examples: CEPHAL-o-POD; pros-ENCEPHAL-on (forebrain or anterior brain vesicle of the embryo).

CHOL(E)- (χολή)

• Signifies bile or gall.
• Examples: CHOL-AGOGUE (agent which stimulates the flow of bile from the liver); CHOL-0-CHROME (any bile pigment); EU-CHOL-ia (normal condition of the bile).

CHONDR-, CHONDRI- (χόνδρος)

• Means cartilage or granule.
• Example: peri-CHONDRI-um (fibrous connective tissue covering cartilage).

CLAD- (κλάδος)

• Signifies branch.
• Examples: HETER-0-CLAD-ic (describing a communication between branches of different arteries); PHYLL-o-CLAD (FLAD-o-PHYLL; a green, flattened or round stem that functions as a leaf, as in cacti).

COL- (κόλον)

• Means colon.
• Example: COL-o-PROCT-o-stomy (formation of a new passage between the colon and the rectum).

CON(I)- (κόνις)

• Means dust.
• Examples: CON-IDI-0-PHOR-e (bearing condia, a fungal spore); OT-o-CONI-um (one of very small crystals of calcium carbonate found in the membranous labyrinth of the ear, or ear dust.

CYCL- (κύκλος)

• Signifies circle or wheel.
• Examples: en-CYCL-o-PAED-ia; a-CYCL-ia (state of arrested circulation of bodily fluids); CYCL-0-COEL-ic (intestines coiled in one or more distinct spirals).

CYN- (κύων, κυνός)

• Means dog.
• Examples: CYN-ic; CYN-o-CEPHAL-ous (head shaped like a dog's); CYNO-POD-ous (non-retractile claws).

GEU- (γεύω)

• Signifies to taste.
• Examples: dys-GEU-sia( morbidity or distortion of the sense of taste); hyper-GEU-sia (abnormal acuteness of the sense of taste).

HAPL- (ἁπλόος)

• Mnans single or simple.
• Example: HAPL-oid have the number of chromosomes characteristic of mature germ cells for the organism in question.

HYAL- (ὕαλος)

• Means glass, vitreous body of the eye, or transparent.
• Examples: HYAL-in ( a clear substance produced especially by the degeneration of epithelial or connective tissues); HYAL-oid ( glassy or transparent, e.g hyaloid membrane) and HAL-0-MER-e (clear, homogenous part of the blood).

HYPN- (ὕπνος)

• Signifies sleep.
• Example: HYPN-AGOG-ic (inducing sleep, pertaining to inception of sleep, applies to visions seen just before complete sleep).

IDE- (ἰδέα)

• Signifies idea or mental image.
• Examples: MON-o-IDE-ism (absorption in a single idea, as in mental depression, hypnosis or trance); IDE-o-phobia (moroid fear of ideas).

LYMPH- (Lat. lympha from Greek νύμφη)

• Means water or lymph.
• Examples: CYT-o-LYMPH (cell-sap, the fluid part of protoplasm); KARY-0-LYMPH (nuclear sap); LYMPHO-CYTE (a small mononuclear cell of blood or lymph); LYMPH-ADEN-oma (tumor-like enlargement of a lymph gland).

MASTIG- (μάστιξ, μάστιγος)

• Signifies whip or flagellum.
• Examples: MASTIG-ium (defensive posterior lash of certain larvae); HETER-o-MASTIG-ate (two different types of flagella).

ΜΙΤ- (μίτος)

• Means thread
• Examples: MIT-osis (indirect or karyokinetic cell division, with chromosome formation, etc.); MIT-o-GENE-sis (formation as a result of mitosis); MIT-0-CHONDR-ion (an organelle found in large numbers in most cells).

MOGI- (μόγις)

• Signifies difficult.
• Examples: MOGI-LAL-ia (difficulty in speech, such as stuttering or stammering); MOGI-GRAPH-ia (‘writer's cramp')=

ODYN- (ὀδύνη)

• Means pain.
• Examples: an-ODYN-e; GLOSS-ODYN-ia (pain in the tongue); MY'ODYN-ia (muscular pain).

ONC-, -ONCUS (ὄγκος)

• Signifies a tumour or swelling.
• Example: ONC-o-logy; ADEN-ONC-us (an enlargement or tumour of a gland); par-OPHTHALM-ONC-osis (development of tumour near the eye).

ΟΟ- (ᾠόν)

• Means egg.
• Examples OO-CYTE (a cell in an ovary which may undergo meiotic division to form an ovum; OO-CYST (a cyst containing a zygote formed by a parasitic protozoan such as the malaria parasite

PACHY- (παχύς)

• Means thick.
• Examples: PACHY-DERM (a very large mammal with thick skin); PACHY-ACR-ia (condition marked by clubbing extremities (fingers and toes)); PACHY-CLAD-ous (thick-branched); PACHY-s-ANDR-a (an evergreen creeping shrubby plant of the box family)

ΡΕΝ- (πένομαι)

• Signifies deficiency or want.
• Examples: PEN-ury (extreme poverty); GLYC-o-PEN-ia (tendency towards hypoglycaemia)

PEP(S)-, PEPT- (πέψις; πέπτω)

• Means to digest.
• Examples: PEPS-in (a substance containing a proteolytic enzyme obtained from the glandular layer of a hog's stomach; PEPT-ic (pertaining to pepsin; pertaining to digestion, e.g peptic ulcer

PEX-; PAG- (πήγγνυμι; πῆξις)

• Means to fasten or united.
• Examples: ISCHI-o-PAG-us (same as ISCHI-o-DIDYM-us); CRANI-o-PAG-us (conjoined twins united by their heads); HYSTER-0-PEX-y (surgical procedure used for a prolapsed uterus)

PHRA- (φράζω)

• Signifies to speak.
• Examples: PHRA-se; para-PHRA-se; peri-PHRA-sis; a-PHRA-sia (loss of power to utter connected phrases)

PHRAG- (φραγμός; φράγνυμι)

• Signifies to block up or to wall in.
• Examples: dia PHRAG-m; em-PHRAC-tic (any agent that obstructs the function of an organ, especially the excretory function of the skin).

PHYC- (φῦκος)

• Means seaweed or algae.
• Examples: PHYC-o-logy (the branch of botany concerned with seaweeds and other algae); CHLOR-0-PHYC-eae (algae having clear, green colour)

PHYLAC(T)- (φύλαξ, φύλακος; φυλάκτωρ)

• Means to guard or to protect.
• Examples: pro-PHYLACT-ic; canta-PHYLAX-is (catal-PHYLAC-sis) (movement and transportation of phylactic agents, such as leukocytes, to the site of an infection).

PLAN- (πλάνος)

• Signifies wandering.
• Examples: PLAN-et; ANGI-0-PLAN-ia (irregularity or abnormality in the course of a vessel ANGI-ec-TOP-ia) and a-PLAN-o-GAM-ete (a nonmotile, conjugating germ cell of various plants and animals); PLAN-o-mania (a morbid desire for wandering).

PLATY(S)- (πλατύς)

• Means broard or flat.
• Examples: PLATY-CEPHAL-ic (characterizing a person with a flat skull; PLATY-PUS (flat footed)

PLEUR- (πλευρόν)

• Signifies side, rib, or pleura.

• Examples: an-ISO-PLEUR-al (bilaterally asymmetrical); eu-DI-PLEUR-al (symmetrical about a median plane, bilaterally symmetrical; PLEUR-ODYN-ia (pain in the abdominal wall); PLEUR0-SOMAT-0-SCHIS-is (lateral abdominal fissure

• PLO- (-πλόος)

• Means folded and fold.

• Examples: DI-PLO-ma; DI-PLO-m-at; DI-PLO-CEPHAL-us (an organism with two heads); HETER-0-PLO-id (not having a mutiple of the basic HAPLO-id number of chromosomes); TETRA-PLO-id (with four times the normal haploid number of chromosomes)

POIE- (ποιέω)

• Means to make.
• Examples: PO-et; ONOMAT-o-POE-ia; ANGI-o-POI-esis ( the process by which certain cells cause the formation of blood vessels in new tissue), HIDRO-POIE-sis (formation of sweat)

PTER-, PTERYG- (πτέρυξ, πτέρυγος)

• Signifies wing.
• Examples: HELIC-o-PTER; PTER-0-DACTYL; an-IS-o-PTER-ous (unequally winged, applies to seeds; HYAL-0-PTER-ous (having transparent wings)

PTO- (πίπτω; πτῶμα)

• Means to fall.
• Examples: PTO-sis (drooping of the upper eyelid); pro-PTO-sis (falling downward, prolapse (e.g abnormal protrusion of the eyeball))

PYEL- (πύελος)

• Means pelvis (espeically of the kidney)