The most important prefixes are listed below with their meanings and a few examples of their use. a-, an- (before a vowel)-a privative or a negative conveying deficiency, lack or weakness a-pathy-lack of feeling a-tom-indivisible an-emia-lack of blood an-esthesia-lack of sensation amphi-, ampho-on both sides, double amphi-bious-living on both sides (land and water) amphi-theatre-a place for seeing around, an operating room ampho-diplopia-double vision in both eyes ampho-phil-fond of both, a cell which stains with either acid or dyes ana-, an-up, upward, again ana-lysis-dissolution, breaking up (of chemical compounds) ana-mnesis-recollection, medical history ana-tomy-cutting up, dissection an-a-phylaxis-renewed loss of protection anti-against, opposed to, opposite of anti-dote-against a given thing (poison) anti-pyretic-against fever anti-septic-against infection ant-acid-against an acid, neutralizing an acid apo-off, away from apo-physis-a growth away, a projection (from a bone) apo-plexy-a stroke away, a sudden stroke apo-staxis-a trickling down, a slight hemorrhage apo-thecary-a pharmacist (apotheke-a repository) cata-down, downward cata-menia-according to month, menses cata-rrh-a flowing down, inflammation of the mucous membrane cata-tonia-a downward tone, stupor cat-hod-downward way, the return goal of an electron dia-through, across, completely dia-betes-a going through, syphon, syphon disease dia-gnosis-knowing completely, determination of the nature of a disease dia-rrhea-flowing through, fluid discharge dia-thermy-heat going through, elevation of temperature by means of a current dys-bad, difficult, defective dys-entery-bad intestine dys-pepsia-bad digestion dys-pnea-difficult breathing dys-trophy-bad nourishment ec-, ex-out, out of, outward ec-topic-out of place ec-zema-a boiling out, an inflammation of the skin ex-ophthalmos-eye (bulging) out ex-ostosis-bone outside, a bony tumor en-, em-in, within en-cephalon-in the head, the brain

Scores of simple Gr. root words are used in every-day English without our realizing their origin. To quote just a few: acme, basis, chaos, character, criterion, dogma, drama, echo, enigma, horizon, phantatia, stigma, thema, etc. Here is a short list of some basic words used in medical terminology: aden-gland aort&-aorta bronchos-gullet cheir-hand chole-bile derma-skin gastEr-belly haima-blood hepar-liver hygieia-health hymen-membrane kardia-heart kephal&-head kranion-skull larynx-voice box mania-madness, frenzy nausea-seasickness neuron-tendon, nerve osteon-bone ophthalmos-eye pepsis-digestion pharmakon-drug pharynx-throat pleura-side, rib pneuma-air, breath psyche-soul pyon-pus pyr-fire, fever sarx-flesh soma-body spasmos-spasm splen-spleen stoma-mouth stomachos-stomach tracheia-windpipe trauma-wound

I teach English for medics - but not for free ( = If you want to try a class, feel free to be in contact, if not - good luck in your search!

Still searching. Have you thought that maybe all of the other medical students are just too busy studying medicine and they don't have time left for English?