Latin and Greek Terminology

Latin and Greek terminology is another obstacle to overcome on our way to becoming fluent in medical English. Speakers of Romance languages (Spanish, French, Italian, …) are undoubtedly at an advantage, although this advantage can become a great drawback in terms of pronunciation and, particularly, in the use of the plural forms of Latin and Greek.

Since most Latin words used in medical English keep the Latin plural ending—e.g., metastasis, pl. metastases; viscus, pl. viscera—it is essential to understand the basis of the rules for forming plurals in Latin.