Essential medical terminology : your lifeboat in the sea of terms

This medical terminology textbook is primarily intended for medical faculty students from highly diverse language environments. Its goal is to introduce the language of medicine and teach students basic Latin grammar and vocabulary they will need later in their studies and future practices. The contents of this independent textbook have been tailored to the needs of students with varying degrees of previous grammar knowledge; the book will serve mainly as the source text for Medical Terminology courses, but it is also suited for self-study. The first section of the textbook describes noun and adjective inflection, gradually introducing students to the Latin declension system. The second part focuses on word formation, a crucial component of medical terminology, which, in addition to Latin words, often features words of Greek origin, compounds, and hybrid words. An overview of Latin and Greek prefixes and suffixes further contributes to the reader’s understanding of specialized medical terminology. The textbook also includes an introductory chapter on basic grammatical categories and Latin pronunciation, as well as four review chapters that test the mastery of the subject matter. The following brief description of chapter structure will provide instructions on making full use of the textbook. The introduction to each chapter features “keywords”, which are to be linked to their English equivalents by the students, without prior explanation of their respective meanings. Frequently encountered in medicine, the keywords have been selected to represent particular grammatical elements discussed in class. Students are likely to recognize and understand them based on similarities with their English counterparts, the use of accompanying illustrations, or by a simple process of elimination. Cover Contents Foreword Acknowledgements Abbreviations Used in the Text A Brief History of Medical Terminology Linguistic Glossary 1. Alphabet, Pronunciation, and Basic Grammatical Categories PRONUNCIATION OF LATIN VOWELS DIPHTHONGS (GLIDING VOWELS) CONSONANTS BASIC GRAMMATICAL CATEGORIES 2. Grammatical gender 3. Case 4. Number EXERCISES 2. Read syllable by syllable: 3. Hippocratis iūsiūrandum / Hippocratic Oath: 4. Work with the dictionary at the end of the textbook and complete the following table: REVISION QUESTIONS NB (NOTA BENE)1 2. First Declension KEYWORDS a) Work in pairs and decide which word (1–12) goes with which meaning (a–l): Picture 1 Tibia et fibula Picture 2 Cranium (Skull) b) Do you understand the meaning of the following phrases? Notice the different formsof the nouns: GRAMMAR FIRST DECLENSION Feminine NOTE ON ADJECTIVES PREPOSITIONS EXERCISES 2. Connect the nouns and adjectives and translate: 3. Change singular forms into plural forms: 4. Fill in the missing endings and translate: 5. Form the phrases using the prepositions given and translate: 6. Do you know the number of thoracic vertebrae? Can you name them using Latinordinal numerals? Choose the correct numerals: 7. Use the context to determine the grammatical number of the highlighted wordsand note the cases: 8. Order the words in the right forms to make medical phrases: 9. Translate into English: 10. Translate into Latin: ABBREVIATIONS PHRASES TO REMEMBER REVISION QUESTIONS VOCABULARY 3. Second Declension 4. Adjectives of the First and Second Declensions 5. Revision A (Chapters 2–4) 6. Fourth Declension 7. Fifth Declension 8. A) Third Declension Imparisyllaba B) Comparative and Superlative Forms 9. Third Declension I-Stems 10. Revision B (Chapters 6–9) 11. A) First and Second Greek Declensions B) Third Greek Declension 12. Third Declension Adjectives 13. Revision C (Chapters 11–12) 14. Basics of Word Formation 15. A) Latin and Greek Prefixes B) Latin and Greek Numerals 16. Latin and Greek Suffixes 17. Abbreviations, Remedies, and Post-Mortem Examinations 18. Revision D (Chapters 14–17) Revision Chapter Key (A–D) Latin-English Dictionary References Intended for English-speaking students of medical faculties, the present publication provides an introduction into the language of medicine, explaining basic Latin grammar and containing important vocabulary to be used by the students later during their studies as well as in medical practice. The first part of the textbook focuses on noun and adjective inflection, while the second section concerns word formation. The final chapter offers excerpts of authentic pathological diagnoses and uses specific examples to discuss prescription writing and its formal aspects. The textbook is appropriate for schoolwork as well as self-study. • Accompanying digital materials available through the Moodle learning platform (additional exercises corresponding to each chapter and short quizzes with immediate feedback). • Illustrations for students yet without basic anatomical knowledge. • Revision chapters with exercise keys. • List of the most frequent abbreviations and an overview of basic medicaments. • Latin-English dictionary.