Basic Medical Terminology UNIT 2

LATIN PRONUNCIATION
1) Introduction
 Since the end of the Antiquity, Latin is classified as a “dead language”. This means it
has no native speakers.
 In the Middle Ages, it lives on as a lingua franca, being an international language of
the then intellectual elite of Western Europe. In the Renaissance, it serves as a
language of pre-modern sciences.
 European nations, however, have developed their own pronunciations of Latin. Being
neither native speakers nor sound recordings available, there was naturally no
precise idea of the original Roman pronunciation. As a result, each nation has
adapted it to their own phonetic preferences or possibilities. That is why it may be
different in England, France, Italy, or Germany.
 Apart from many different national pronunciations, you may have encountered so-
called restituted pronunciation that aims to be as close as possible to the original
sound of Classical Latin.
 There is also an Italian, or ecclesiastical pronunciation, which is used within the
Catholic Church.
 In the Czech Republic, however, a so-called medieval pronunciation is used. The
main reason for this is a tradition: Latin of this pronunciation has been spoken in this
country since the end of 10th century when a Czech state was established as a part of
the Holy Roman Empire.
 This medieval pronunciation is used also in other countries of Central, Southeast and
Eastern Europe (Slovakia, Poland, Austria, Bulgaria, Russia).

2) Rules
 Vowels:
o Their number is limited to 6 short and 6 long vowels.
o This distinction between short and long ones should be preserved. Examples:
a [a], like in cut; ā [a:], like in farm
o Long vowels are traditionally marked with a small line above. Such a small
line (‘macron‘) is found in dictionaries and terminology textbooks only; Latin
terms in any other medical texts are always written without these marks.
However, they should be pronounced.

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Basic Medical Terminology UNIT 2

Latin grapheme IPA1 English approximation Example

a [a] like in cut scapula
e [ɛ] like in pen pediculus
i [ɪ] like in ill axis
o [o] like in pot fossa
u [u] like in full uncus
y [ɪ] like in ill condylus

Latin grapheme IPA English approximation Example

ā [a:] like in rather forāmen
ē [ɛ:] like in fair vēna
ī [i:] like in feel spīna
ō [o:] like in storm prōcessus
ū [u:] like in fool cornū
ӯ [i:] like in feal thӯmus

o Note 1: If there is a group of ‘i‘+ vowel, a sound [j] (like in yes) is inserted:
tībia [ti:bɪja] (tee-be-yah).
o Note 2: Letter y/ӯ, which is pronounced in the same way as i/ī, is a signal of a
Greek origin of a word. Latin did not have y/ӯ (nor z), both letters have been
adopted later and put at the end of an original Latin alphabet - where they are
found till now.

 Digraphs:
o Special attention should be paid to these groups of vowels (digraphs): ae, oe,
au.

Latin grapheme IPA English approximation Example

ae [ɛ:] like in fair vēnae
oe [ɛ:] like in fair oesophagus
au [au] like in cow, town, out cauda

o Note 3: Do not confuse ‘ae‘ [ɛ:] and a group of ‘ea‘, which is pronounced as
separate sounds [e-a], e.g. fovea [fo-vɛ-a].

1
IPA = International Phonetic Alphabet

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Basic Medical Terminology UNIT 2

 Consonants:
o The following consonants deserve special attention:

Latin IPA Rule or English approximation Example Phonetic

grapheme spelling2
g [g] always hard, like in garden glandula (glan-do-lah)
never soft, like in giant
j [j] always like in yes, boy jejunum (ye-you-num)
never like in James major (my-or)
ti + vowel [tsi] almost always spatium (spa-tse-yum)
[tɪ] when s or x precedes ōstium (oh-stee-yum)
c [ts] when followed by prōcessus (pro:tse-sus)
e, ē, i, ī, y, ӯ, ae, oe faciēs (fa-tse-yes)
incīsūra (in-tsee-zoo-
rah)
cystītis
(tsi-stee-tis)
caecum
(tse:kum)
[x] when followed by h, trachēa (tra-xe:ah)
like in Scottish loch cholēdochus (xo-le:do-xus)
[k] in other cases caecum (tse:kum)
crista (crist-ah)
canālis (ca-na:lis)
cornū (cor-noo)
s [z] between two vowels basis (ba-zis)
and in groups: ls + vowel pulsus (pul-zus)
ns + vowel extēnsor (eks-te:n-zor)
rs + vowel dorsum (dor-zom)
[s] in other cases canālis (ka-na:lis)
sulcus (sul-kus)
ss [s] double s is simplified in prōcessus [pro:tse-sus]
pronunciation fossa [fo-sah]

2
Phonetic spelling is a simple way how to record a pronunciation of a word without using the IPA phonetic
symbols. A word is divided into small parts whose sound can be easily recorded by using typical combinations of
English letters.

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Basic Medical Terminology UNIT 2

Latin grapheme IPA Rule or English approximation Example Phonetic spelling

gu [gv] lingua (lin-gvah)
qu [kv] squāma (skva:mah)
ph [f] in Greek words, phalanx (fa-lanks)
like in philosopher
th [th] or [t] in Greek words, thӯmus (tea-mus)
like in Thomas
never like thin or this
rh [rh] or [r] in Greek words rhaphē (ra-fe:)

3) Exercises:
A) Read Latin anatomical terms describing scapula and humerus aloud. While doing
so, you can compare Latin terms with their English equivalents as well. Note
significant correspondences between Latin and English.
Scapula

Latin term English term

1) Incīsūra scapulae Suprascapular notch
2) Prōcessus coracoīdeus Coracoid process
3) Tūberculum īnfrāglēnoīdāle Infraglenoid tubercle
4) Fossa subscapulāris Subscapular fossa
5) Margō laterālis Lateral border
6) Angulus īnferior Inferior angle
7) Margō superior Superior border
8) Spīna scapulae Spine of scapula
9) Fossa īnfrāspīnāta / Fossa suprāspīnāta Infraspinous fossa / Supraspinous fossa
10) Cavitās glēnoīdālis Glenoid cavity
11) Acrōmion Acromion
Humerus

Latin term English term

1) Caput humerī Head (of humerus)
2) Tūberculum majus Greater tubercle
3) Tūberculum minus Lesser tubercle
4) Collum chīrūrgicum Surgical neck
5) Collum anatomicum Anatomical neck
6) Fossa corōnoīdea Coronoid fossa
7) Trochlea humeri Trochlea
8) Fossa ōlecrānī Olecranon fossa
9) Epicondylus mediālis Medial epicondyle
10) Epicondylus laterālis Lateral epicondyle

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B) See the pictures of scapula and humerus and describe them by using the Latin
terms from the previous exercise.