General and Clinical Terminology (Letter V)
Terms beginning with the letter "V" are widely used both in fundamental anatomy and in internal medicine propaedeutics.
An essential functional word is the preposition in — in, which is used with the accusative (Accusativus) and ablative (Ablativus) cases depending on the question (where to? or where?).
Among adjectives describing properties and localization, the following stand out:
- Crucial, main — cardinālis, e
- Vasomotor — vasomotorius, a, um
- Vegetative — vegetatīvus, a, um
- High — altus, a, um
- Highest — maxĭmus, a, um
A special place is occupied by terms describing surface contours. For example, impression is translated as impressio, eminence as protuberantia, and a prominent or protruding object is described by the participle prominens. The term nucha (back of the neck) — nucha and the corresponding adjective nuchal — nuchalis, e are also frequently used.
In clinical practice, a physician regularly performs a physical examination of the patient. This involves methods such as auscultation (auscultation, verb to auscultate — ausculto) and percussion. Pathological changes may be described by the terms varicose (varicōsus) or vesicular, meaning containing many vesicles (vesiculōsus).
Anatomical Structure (Letter G)
The anatomical section under the letter "G" includes the names of key structures of the human body, from the head to the lower extremities.
Head and neck: It is itself head is designated as caput, and its diminutive form, head (caput/condyle) (e.g., of a bone) — capitŭlum. At the same time, the glans of the clitoris or penis has a separate term — glans. Within the cranium is located brain — encephălon, as well as the most important endocrine gland, pituitary gland — hypophўsis. Respiratory and digestive tracts diverge into pharynx (pharynx, the adjective for pharyngeal is pharyngēus) and larynx (larynx, laryngeal is laryngēus). Closely related to the larynx is voice (vox) and voice apparatus (glottis).
Trunk and extremities:
- Sternum — sternum
- Thorax — thorax (or cavea thoracis)
- Chest — pectus (corresponding adjectives: thoracic — thoracĭcus or pectoralis)
- Leg (crus) — crus
- Talocrural — talocruralis
To describe the shape and structure of tissues, the following adjectives are used: capitate (capitātus), fungiform (fungiformis), spongy (spongiōsus). Spatial arrangement is specified by the words deep (profundus) and horizontal (horizontalis).
Diseases, Pathologies, and Fluids
Students need to know the Latin equivalents of common diagnoses and pathological conditions:
- Highmoritis — highmorītis (inflammation of the maxillary sinus).
- Herpes — herpes.
- Glaucoma — glaucōma (a severe eye disease).
- Hernia — hernia (adjective: herniary — hernialis).
- Delirium tremens — delirium tremens (acute alcohol-withdrawal psychosis).
An important role is played by terms related to blood and fluids. Thus, the adjective hemolytic is haemolytĭcus, hemorrhagic is haemorrhagĭcus, and hyperglycemic (indicating high blood sugar) is hyperglykaemĭcus.
Infectious and inflammatory processes are often accompanied by secretions. Pus in Latin is pus, and the adjective purulent can be translated in two ways: purulentus or suppuratīvus. If the process is accompanied by tissue breakdown, the term putrid — putrĭdus is used.
Pharmaceutics, Chemistry, and Botany
In prescription practice, the verbs to prepare — paro or praepăro are frequently used. The physician prescribes medications, measuring their mass in grams (gramma), and the medications themselves may be available in the form of granules (granŭlum).
Among botanical and homeopathic (homoeopathĭcus) terms, the following stand out:
- Valerian — valeriāna
- Pheasant's eye (adonis) — Adōnis
Chemical nomenclature starting with the letter "G" is extensive and includes numerous salts and esters.
| Russian name | Latin term |
|---|---|
| Hydrobromide | hydrobromĭdum |
| Hydroiodide | hydroiodĭdum |
| Hydrogen carbonate (Bicarbonate) | hydrocarbōnas |
| Hydroxide | hydroxўdum |
| Hydrogen tartrate | hydrotartras |
| Hydrochloride | hydrochlorĭdum |
| Glycerophosphate | glycerophosphas |
| Gluconate | glucōnas |
In addition, active substances such as vaseline (vaselīnum), validol (validōlum), heparin (heparīnum), hydrocortisone (hydrocortisōnum), glycerol (glycerīnum), glucose (glucōsum) and the antibiotic gramicidin (gramicidīnum). To describe the taste of medications, e.g., mixtures, the word bitter — amārus.
Ophthalmology (Eye)
Ophthalmic terminology forms a distinct and important cluster. The main organ of vision, the eye, is translated as ocŭlus. The eyeball itself is designated by the phrase bulbus ocŭli. The bony cavity in which it is located is called the orbit — orbĭta (accordingly, orbital is orbitalis). At the same time, the general adjective ocular, used for drops or ointments, is translated using the Greek root — ophthalmĭcus.
Briefly: answers to topical questions
What anatomical parts (subdivisions) is the pharynx divided into?
The pharynx is divided into three anatomical parts.
- Nasopharynx (pars nasalis) — communicates with the nasal cavity through the choanae, and with the middle ear through the auditory tube.
- Oropharynx (pars oralis) — communicates with the oral cavity through the fauces.
- Laryngopharynx (pars laryngea) — communicates with the larynx through the laryngeal inlet and continues further into the esophagus.
In which case should the names of medicinal plants, such as valerian (valeriana) or pheasant's eye (Adonis), be written when issuing a prescription?
The names of medicinal plants when writing a prescription must be in the genitive case (Genitivus). This rule is due to the fact that the name of the medicinal product grammatically depends on the indication of its quantity (dose), which is put in the accusative case, and answers the question "of what?". For example, valerian root is prescribed as Radicis Valerianae.
What anatomical parts does the sternum consist of and what processes are located on it?
The sternum consists of the manubrium (manubrium sterni), the body (corpus sterni), and the xiphoid process (processus xiphoideus). The manubrium has the jugular and clavicular notches. The xiphoid process has a variable shape: it can be pointed, bifurcated, paddle-shaped, or have apertures.
Which cranial bones take part in forming the walls of the orbit (orbita)?
Several cranial bones take part in forming the walls of the orbit.
- Superior wall — formed by the frontal and sphenoid (lesser wing) bones.
- Inferior wall — includes the zygomatic, maxillary, and palatine (orbital process) bones.
- Medial wall — consists of the frontal, maxillary, ethmoid, lacrimal, and sphenoid bones.
Information about the bones of the lateral wall is missing in the sources.
In what grammatical form (mood) are the verbs paro and praeparo usually used when writing standard medical prescriptions?
The sources do not specify in which exact forms paro and praeparo are used in prescriptions. It is indicated that verbs in prescription writing are used in the present tense (praesens), while the imperative (Imperativus) and subjunctive (Conjunctivus) moods are used for instructions.
To avoid confusing the pharynx and larynx, remember: pharynx starts with the same letter as the esophagus in English (food passes through it), while larynx is used for producing sounds (larynx... like a song). And to remember bone formations: caput (head) yields the diminutive capitŭlum (head of a bone).
Class and exam questions
How to properly translate the word "thoracic / pectoral" into Latin?
There are two main variants depending on context: pectoralis (pertaining to the chest as a body surface, from pectus) and thoracĭcus (pertaining to the thoracic cage as a whole, from thorax).
What is the difference between capitŭlum and glans?
Both words translate as "head". However, capitŭlum is used primarily in osteology (head of a bone), while glans is used in splanchnology to designate the glans of the clitoris or penis.
What are the synonyms for the word «suppurative» («гнойный»)tha?
In medical Latin, the adjectives purulentus and suppuratīvus are used to denote a purulent process.
How are Latin names of hydrosols formed?
They are formed by adding the prefix hydro- to the name of the main anion, for example: hydrochlorĭdum (hydrochloride) or hydrocarbōnas (hydrogencarbonate).
What else to study on this topic
- Chemical nomenclature: rules for forming the names of salts and acids
- Third-declension adjectives with the endings -ens and -ans (prominens, ascendens)
- Anatomical terminology of bone relief (depressions, prominences, crests)
- Rules for prescription writing using the verbs paro and praepăro
- Word formation of clinical diagnoses with the suffix -itis (using highmorītis as an example)
Master the entire topic in the "Latin Language" course
This is a summary. The course covers everything tested in classes and exams.
- Complete study guide on "Russian-Latin Medical Dictionary: Letters V, G" and 2,323 more pages on the subject
- Assignments and quizzes after every topic — just like in a colloquium
- AI tutor answers questions on the topic anytime
- 107 video lessons on the subject
Other topics in the "Russian-Latin Dictionary" section
Prepared by WhiteCoat Pro faculty in accordance with the medical school curriculum. For educational purposes only.