The Coolest Medical Terms
Derived from Latin and Greek
Treasurer Katyln Havlin, Mercy McAuley
Medical terminology is strongly rooted in the languages of Latin
and Greek. There are two main reasons the lexicon of medicine is
based off of classical languages. Until the 1800s, European medical
thought was dominated by Greek theories and by the teachings of
Greek and Roman physicians, and Latin was the language of all
academic dissertation until about the 1800s. Latin and Greek origins
are very convenient for us young classicists who want to pursue
careers in the medical field or for those of us who just want to pass
Anatomy and Physiology.
The following is a list I compiled of a few of my favorite medical
terms:
Word
Hydrophobia
Dermatitis
Roots
-hydro,
-phobia
-derma
-itis
Literal Translation Medical Meaning
-fear
-water Extreme or irrational
fear of water.
It is a common
symptom in rabies
An itchy inflammation
of the skin.
-Inflammation
Also known as
-skin
eczema
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