Etymology of Abdominal Visceral Terms Parenchyma - A direct Greek borrowing signifying that which is poured in from an ancient and

erroneous belief that the solid organs of the abdomen got that way by the blood being poured into them and then congealing there. Pylorus - comes directly from the Greek word for gatekeeper. They used the term for the lower end of the stomach generally whereas later Latin authors tended to restrict its use to the narrow thickened opening into the duodenum which we recognize as the pyloric valve. There it performs a clearly defined gatekeeper function for the gastric contents. Duodenum - From its approximate length, this first part of the small intestine was called by the Greeks dodeka daktulon, meaning 12 fingers. It was translated into Arabic and ultimately emerged in Latin as duodenum in reference to its length. Jejunum - from the Latin adjective jejunus = empty or fasting. At autopsy this portion of the small intestine is often empty of contents as a result of terminal peristalsis. In English intellectual jargon, jejune is a favorite word signifying empty or devoid of substance as in a jejune conversation. Ileum - comes from the Greek word eilos signifying twisted. Why this particular segment of small bowel was chosen to bear this appellation is not clear given that upon opening the abdomen, all of the small bowel appears twisted, coiled, or folded upon itself. Incidentally, dont confuse this ileum with the bone, spelled with an i = ilium. Vermiform appendix Vermiform comes from the Latin word vermis, meaning worm. Appendage and appendix both have the sense of an addition that is attached to the end of something. In this case, the name accurately describes this organ as a worm hanging off the end of the cecum. Teres as appears in ligamentum teres. Teres is a Latin word that means round and smooth or cylindrical. You will encounter a number of ligaments and muscles bearing this adjective as you progress through your anatomical studies. Some examples are: The ligamentum teres representing the obliterated left umbilical vein The round ligament of the uterus, formally known as the ligamentum teres uteri The pronator teres muscle of the forearm Portal Vein Well, this is pretty obviously a vein, but why is it portal? In nonbiological usage, portal is a noun describing an entrance or doorway; it is not an adjective. The Latin root is the word porta meaning a city gate or entrance. This, in turn, comes from the verb portare to carry or convey (through a gate or wherever). So the nonbiological meaning of portal is clear. The biological adjective portal has the same roots. The famous Roman physician Galen used the word porta to describe the transverse fissure of the liver which he considered the gateway of the liver the porta hepatis. So the vein in question is portal for two reasons: it carries or conveys the blood and it delivers it to the porta. Notice our English use of the same root in words such as porter, portable, import, etc. Caudate - as in caudate lobe of the liver. You already know that cauda is Latin for tail and that caudal refers to the tail end. This lobe of the liver gets its name from the small tail of hepatic tissue called the caudate process that provides surface continuity between the caudate lobe and the visceral surface of the right lobe of the liver. The caudate process lies between the porta hepatis and the inferior vena cava. Pancreas is a combination of the Greek pan = all (Pan America, etc) and kreas =

flesh, a description that is well suited to this organ. The proper, but little used, plural is pancreata. Cecum - is from the Latin caecus meaning blind as in blind end, in reference to this cul-de-sac at the beginning of the large bowel. Although little used now, the Greek etymology is richer and more interesting. The Greek word for that which we call the cecum is typhlos, again meaning blind. Typhlos came from the more basic Greek word typhos meaning smoke. The connection is evidently with the ability of smoke to blind one. Typhus and typhoid fevers share this sense of smoke or mist inducing confusion and disorientation that is typical of these fevers. Perityphlitis is a now rarely used word for appendicitis. And if you want to impress your friends with your erudition (and perhaps only demonstrate your pedantry) try using typhlodicliditis for inflammation of the ileocecal valve. Haustra - Haustrations, and haustral markings all refer to the saccule-like pouches of the large bowel that appear between the longitudinal muscle fibers of the tenia coli. The basic word is the Latin haustrum meaning a bucket or scoop. The connection is pretty obvious. Epiploic is an adjective taken from the Greek word epiploon meaning that which we (and the Latin writers) call the omentum. The Greek root. epipleo signifies to float upon - as the omentum floats upon the abdominal contents. The terms appendices epiploica and epiploic appendages are acceptable Latin and English terms describing the small fatty masses attached to the colon. Etymology of Abdominal Wall and Inguinal Terms Aponeurosis - In present day parlance this word for the broad tendon of a flat muscle has nothing to do with nerves as its -neurosis portion might suggest. But the ancient Greeks who coined the word were unable to distinguish between nerves and tendons, both of which were called neuros. Hence the word is a combination of apo-, a prefix indicating away or derivation from; and neurosis meaning a tendon. Crus - is Latin for leg. Crura is the plural. Thus, the medial and lateral crura of the subcutaneous inguinal ring are simply its two legs. Etymologically it is distinct from words such as cruciform, which are derived from the Latin crux, meaning cross. From the latter root we get crucial and crucifixion. Pampiniform - The pampiniform plexuscoils along the spermatic cord form resembling the tendrils of an unpruned vine. The Latin word pampinus means just that, a tendril. Hypochondrium - So, why should this region of the upper abdomen which lies hidden beneath the lower costal cartilages give rise to the adjective hypochondriac (chondros = Greek for cartilage), to one who suffers from an illness without knownorganic basis? Heres why: On the left, the spleen resides there. To the ancients, this organ was thought to be the seat of melancholy and the source of emotions. And our present understanding of hypochondriasis is that of an emotional rather than an organic condition. In some regions of the country, you will still occasionally hear an old timer use the adjective spleeny to describe someone who does not tolerate pain well. Im not one to be spleeny, doc, but it hurts something wicked. This usage has obviously drifted a bit away from the original meaning. Gubernaculum - is the Latin word for rudder or helm of a boat. Hence it has the sense of a guide or governor. Notice the relationship to our word gubernatorial as in an election for the governor. Dartos - This is NOT an eponymic possessive adjective like Scarpas or Colles and does not need to be capitalized. Rather, it is a Greek derivative that means that which is flayed or skinned, perhaps from its appearance.

Umbilicus - from the Latin umbo = a knob or projection. Originally, an umbo was the ornamental knob at the center of a warriors shield. Umbilicus is a diminutive of that indicating a small projection. Later on, you will learn that the slight projection at the center of the eardrum is also called the umbo. Navel - Speakers of Old English used the word nafela for the belly-button. This descended from the Greek omphalos for belly-button, through the Anglo-Saxon word nafe, meaning the center of a wheel where the axle was inserted, to nafela. Our word navel for the hub or center of the body comes from that. Incidentally, nave is still a perfectly good word used to indicate the hub of a wheel. This nave is not related to the nave found in a church. The latter is derived from the Latin word for a ship and is found also in navy and navigation Falciform - Falx is Latin for sickle, a curve-bladed hand instrument used to cut grasses and grains. Falciform simply means in the shape of, or resembling, a sickle. You might as well remember this relationship as it will crop up several times as you wend your way through human anatomy. Cremaster - from a Greek word meaning suspender. Its obvious function makes no further explanation necessary. Albuginea - This goes back to the Latin root albus meaning white. It is the same albus that appears in albumen, meaning the white of an egg, and albumin (with an i) meaning the plasma protein. Albugo is Latin for whiteness; albuginea derives from this and is used for any dense white covering, such as the tunica albuginea of the testis. Pectineal This is obviously derived from the Latin word pecten meaning a comb. This was also an old word for the pubis. But what is the connection? No one knows for sure. A relationship to the pubic hair is one of several that have been suggested. Inguinal Inguen is the Latin word for the groin. For the Romans, this word was also used for ones privates. Etymology of Thoracic Terms Carina - This word for the sharp internal bifurcation of the trachea is the Latin word for the keel of a ship, which it resembles. Our related word for a ship that leans way over so as to show its keel, or a vehicle that sways wildly from side to side, is careen. Phrenic The stem of this word, phren, had two separate meanings in ancient Greece. One was the heart or, perhaps because it was so close by, the thoracic diaphragm. Our modern adjective phrenic referring to the diaphragm, as in phrenic nerve, comes from that meaning. The other meaning of phren was the brain or mind. From this second meaning we get such words as phrenology and schizophrenic. Frenzy, at one time spelled phrenzy, also comes from this meaning. Lingula This is formed from the Latin word for tongue, lingua, and the diminutive ula. This lingula is the little tongue found on the left lung. Of course you can relate this to words such as linguistics and lingo. Vagus nerve - Vagus in Latin means wandering or roaming. Cranial Nerve X gets this designation from its wandering nature as it travels through the neck, chest and abdomen supplying various organs and structures therein. Our word vague is directly from this source. Viscus - the Latin word for an internal organ of one of the body cavities. The plural is viscera. Do not confuse the noun viscus with the adjective viscous meaning sticky

or glutinous. Splanchnic - is from the Greek word splanchna meaning viscera or internal organs. Splanchnic nerves service the viscera. Mediastinum - This may seem obscure at first glance, but is no more than the prefix media- = middle, and a form of the Latin verb stare = to stand. It is that which stands in the middle (of the thorax). Ramus - Ramus (plural = rami) is simply the Latin word for a branch. And so for us, all the ramifications of an issue are all its branches or related aspects. Epicardium - Epi- is a Greek prefix having the meaning on top of or above. Hence epicardium is that which is on top of the cardium, cardium being the Greek word for heart; the corresponding Latin word iscor. You will encounter that root in the medical term cor pulmonaleand in the English word cordial implying coming warmly from the heart. Auricle - Auris is Latin for ear; -cle is a diminutive, So, an auricle is a little ear. This part of the atrium is also known as the atrial appendage. The technique of examination by listening known as auscultation has a similar, albeit more circuitous, derivation from auris. Incidentally, until Laennec introduced the stethoscope in 1817, direct auscultation, carried out by placing ones ear directly on the chest to listen, was the usual technique. Atrium - Is the Latin word for the entrance room of a Roman house. In reference to the heart, it is the entrance to the ventricle. Ventricle - is from the Latinventer(belly or womb) plus the diminutive -cle. So,a ventricle is a little belly. Our English word ventral, therefore, means having to do with the belly side. Trabecula -In Latin, trabs is the noun for a beam or timber. Trabecula is the diminutive, hence a little beam, which is what those in the heart resemble. Coronary Artery - Corona means crown in Latin. The coronary arteries rest upon the circumference of the heart like a crown. And you know what happens at a royal coronation - the crown or corona gets put on. Vena cava - By now you know vena is Latin for vein. Cava means hollow or empty. Hence, the hollow vein. The reason this large vessel was called hollow by the ancients is not surely known. The cav- stem survives in such English words as excavate and cavern. Azygos - The root Greek word is zygon, meaning a yoke such as unites a team of two oxen and by extension, a pair. The letter a- (preceding -zygos in this case) is known as alpha privative; it expresses negation or that which is not. Unlike most veins, which are bilaterally symmetrical, the azygos is not paired. Tegmen tympani This is the bony roof you remove during the dissection of the ear. Tegmen is from the Latin verb tego, tegere to cover or shelter. Hence tegmen is the word for roof. Tympani is the possessive form of the Latin noun tympanum meaning a drum. So, the whole phrase just means the roof of the (ear) drum. Petrous This adjective is derived from the Latin word for rock petra. It is applied to a part of the temporal bone that is particularly hard and rock-like. You may not have realized that the word petroleum has the same word as one of its roots. The other oleum is the Latin for oil oleum. Petroleum, coming as it does from the earth, is appropriately named. Also, when Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter, he

chose that apostle because of his rock solid loyalty. Clinoid You may have noticed that the anterior and posterior clinoid processes surround the sella turcica like the four corners of a four poster bed. And that is what the word means. Cline is Greek for bed. oid, as usual, indicates a similarity to. When you encounter clinical teaching, that implies teaching that is carried out at the bedside. Hordeolum This is the medical term for a stye (a small localized swelling on the eyelid resulting from an infected perifollicular sebaceous gland located there). Hordeum is Latin for barley. Miniaturize this with the suffix olum and you get barleycorn grain which it might be thought to resemble. Chalazion This is a small swelling in the eyelid caused by obstruction of a Meibomian gland. Chalaza is the Greek word for hail and chalazion is its diminutive. Hippocrates used the term for these hailstone-like tumors of the eyelid. Umbo This is the word used by the Romans to describe the raised ornamental stud projecting from the center of a shield. It may have helped deflect sword thrusts. We use the word to describe the central point on the eardrum where the handle of the malleus attaches. Why this most depressed part of the eardrum is called umbo is not entirely clear. Incidentally, umbilicus is a diminutive of this word for a projecting part. Chiasm, chiasma This a word used by the Greeks to mean crossed like the Greek letter chi (X). In addition to its description of the crossing of the optic nerve, it is used literarily to describe acrossing or reversal of words in the fore- and aft- parts of a literary structure: Patients dont care how much you know until they know how much you care. Fontanelle - Is the diminutive (-elle) of the Latin word fontana signifying a spring or small fountain. Why these soft spots in the skull got this name is not certain possibly from pulsations felt at these points. Parotid Otos is Greek for ear. Para is a prefix indicating along side of (as a paramedian incision is one along side of the mid or median line of the abdomen). The parotid gland is the large salivary gland along side of the ear. Mental Be aware that this adjective has two possible Latin roots. When applied to thought processes, etc., the root is mens meaning mind or intellect. When referring to the chin, the root is mentum. One can easily guess to which the brainy society Mensa is related. Temple The name for this area on the side of the skull comes from the Latin word for time, tempus. The connection may be that with the passage of time, grey hairs appear here early on. Or it may relate to the pulsations of the underlying superficial temporal artery, marking the time we have left here. There is also a probable connection with the Greek verb temnion, to wound in battle. The skull is thin in this area and presents a vulnerable area for a blow from a battle ax. Mastoid process of the temporal bone gets its name from the imagined similarity of its shape to that of the breast. Mastos is the Greek word for breast. The root also appears in the word mastectomy. The ectomy part of that word is composed of tomy, to cut and ec- a form of the prefix ex- meaning away from or out of. Our subject anatomy also has the tomy stem meaning to cut. Occiput - As you know, this is the posterior part of the head. The word is formed from the Latin prefix ob- = against, used here with the sense of opposite + caput = head the idea that the occiput is in the back, or opposite part. The prefix is also found in the word obstinate: -Stinate is from the verb stare meaning to stand. So to

be obstinate is to stand against something. Obstacle has the same roots: ob- = stare.