Suffixes

Question 1

Suffix

Answer 1

Suffixes are elements that are added to combining forms. Suffixes form nouns, adjectives, and verbs or adverbs. Most of these nouns are abstract; that is, they indicate a state, quality, condition, procedure, or process. In medical terminology, most conditions indicated by these suffixes are pathological or abnormal: psoriasis, hepatitis, pneumonia, myopia, astigmatism, and so forth. Some nouns indicating procedures or processes are thoracocentesis, appendectomy, gastroscopy, and gastropexy. A com- plete list of suffixes is found in Appendix C.

Question 2

-a

Answer 2

forms abstract nouns: state, condition:

dyspne-a
anasarc-a
erythroderm-a
rhinorrhe-a

Question 3

-ac (rare)

Answer 3

forms adjectives: pertaining to, located in:

cardi-ac
ile-ac
celi-ac
ischi-ac

Question 4

-ia

Answer 4

forms abstract nouns; often the suffix -ia appears as -y: state, condition:

anem-ia
hypertroph-y
pneumon-ia
microcephal-y

Question 5

-iac (rare)

Answer 5

forms nouns: person afflicted with:

hemophil-iac
insomn-iac
hypochondr-iac
man-iac

Question 6

-iasis

Answer 6

forms abstract nouns: disease, abnormal condition, abnormal presence of: often used with the name of a parasitic organism to indicate infestation of the body by that organism. When used with lith- [Gr. lithos, stone]: formation and/or presence of calculi in the body:

elephant-iasis
ancylostom-iasis
nephrolith-iasis
schistosom-iasis

Question 7

-ic

Answer 7

forms adjectives: pertaining to, located in; words end- ing in -ic can be used as both adjectives and nouns and, as nouns, often indicate a drug or agent:

analges-ic
hypoderm-ic
gastr-ic
tox-ic

Words ending in -ic can refer to a person suffering from a certain disability or condition:

parapleg-ic
anorex-ic

Question 8

in, ine

Answer 8

form names of substances:

adrenal-in
chlor-ine
antitox-in
epinephr-ine

Question 9

-ist

Answer 9

forms nouns: a person interested in:

cardiolog-ist
hematolog-ist
dermatolog-ist
orthodont-ist

Question 10

-itic

Answer 10

forms adjectives: pertaining to; pertaining to inflammation; words ending in -itic can be used as both adjectives and nouns and, as nouns, often indicate a drug or agent:

antineur-itic
arthr-itic (Fig. 1–1)
laryng-itic
nephr-itic

Question 11

-itis

Answer 11

forms nouns indicating an inflamed condition: inflammation:

gastr-itis
laryng-itis
hepat-itis
periton-itis

Question 12

-itides

Answer 12

is the plural form for words ending in -itis:

arthr-itides
dermat-itides

Question 13

-ium

Answer 13

(rarely -eum)

forms nouns: membrane, connective tissue:

endometr-ium
pericard-ium
epicran-ium
periton-eum

In a few words -ium names a region of the body:

epigastr-ium
hypogastr-ium
hypochondr-ium
hyponych-ium

Question 14

-ma

Answer 14

forms nouns: (often) abnormal or diseased condition. The combining form for nouns ending in -ma is -mat-. Sometimes the final -a drops off the noun:

ede-ma 
trau-ma 
phleg-m 
sper-m 
ede-mat-ogenic
trau-mat-ic 
phleg-mat-ic 
sper-mat-ic

Question 15

-osis

Answer 15

forms abstract nouns: abnormal or diseased condi- tion:*

nephr-osis
scler-osis
neur-osis
sten-osis

Question 16

-otic

Answer 16

forms adjectives from nouns ending in -osis: per- taining to:

nephr-otic
scler-otic
neur-otic
sten-otic

Question 17

-sia

Answer 17

forms abstract nouns: state, condition:

amne-sia
dyspha-sia
ecta-sia
hypacu-sia

Question 18

-sis

Answer 18

forms abstract nouns: state, condition:

antisep-sis
paraly-sis
eme-sis
prophylaxis (prophylac-sis)

Question 19

-tic

Answer 19

forms adjectives from nouns ending in -sis: pertaining to; words ending in -tic can be used as both adjectives and nouns and, as nouns, often indicate a drug or agent:

antisep-tic
paraly-tic
eme-tic
prophylac-tic

Words ending in -itic or -tic can refer to a person suffer- ing from a certain disability or condition:

neuro-tic
arthr-itic

Question 20

-y

Answer 20

forms abstract nouns. See -ia.

Question 21

Words can have more than one suffix. Sometimes the suf- fix -iac or -ic is affixed to the noun-forming suffix -sia

Answer 21

or -sis. When this occurs, the only vestige left of the noun-forming suffix is the -s:

amne-sia
amne-s-ic, amne-s-iac

Question 22

A suffix can appear in the middle of a word affixed to a combining form:

Answer 22

hemat-in-emia hepat-ic-o-enterostomy