LATIN AND GREEK PREFIXES
1 From the Greek verb katarrheó “flow down”; according to ancient medical concepts some illnesses are caused
by phlegm flowing down to some organs in the body.
2 Literally “cutting into pieces”.
3 Literally “what is inside the head”.
4 From Greek metastázis “wandering, relocating on different places”.
5 Literally “recalling something”.
Latin prefix Greek
equivalent
meaning examples
a-, ab-, (abs-) apo- away from m. abductor/apophysis
ad- (ac-, af-, a-) para-/par- to, toward; at, near to m. adductor/glandula parotis
ante- pro- in front of, before antebrachium/prostata
circum- peri- around circummaxillaris/pericardium
contra- anti-/ant- against contraindicatio/(remedia)
antiallergica
cum- (con-,
com-, col-, cor-)
syn-/sym- together congenitus/symphysis
de- (des-) cata- from up to down descendens/catarrhus1
de- (des-) Ø removal/loss desinfectio/deformatio
dis- (dif-,di-) dia-/di-
anadivision,
apart dislocatio/diagnosis/anatomia2
e-, ex- (ef-) ec- away from, outside extractio/ectopia
extra- ecto-, exo- outside, external extrauterinus/exocrinus
in- (im-)
dis- (dif-, di-)
a-/an- negation immaturus/dissimilis/anaemia
in- (im-, il-,
ir-)
en-/em- in, into injectio/encephalon3
infra- hypo-/hyp- under, below infraclavicularis/hypoglossus
inter- dia-/di- between intercostalis/diaphragma
intra- endo- inside intravenosus/endocardium
Ø dys- malfunction, disorder dyspepsia
Ø eu- good, normal eupnoe
ob- (oc-, op-) meta-/met- opposite to, behind occiput/metatarsus
per- hyper- increased peraciditas/hyperthrophia
per-
transdia-
through perforans/transversus/diameter
post- meta-/met- after, behind postoperativus/metastasis4
prae-
prōpro-
before, in front of praemolaris/processus/prognosis
re- ana- again, back reoperatio/anamnesis5
sub- (suc-,
suf-, sup-, sus-)
hypo-/hyp- 1. below, under
2. decreased
1. subcutaneus/hypoglossus
2. subluxatio/hypotonia
super- epi- (ep-) at, on, over superficies/epidermis
supra- hyper- above suprarenalis/hyperfunctio