Latin saddoes - why "colonoscopy"?????

by hamsterbait 10 Replies latest jw friends

  • hamsterbait
    hamsterbait

    If my memory of latin at school serves me, it was drummed into us by our teacher that in these circumstances the second vowel should be dropped.

    So you latin experx, is it

    colonOscopy,

    or coloscopy?

    most modern doctors don't know latin anyways.

    HB (of the "Ah talks proper" class)

  • DJK
    DJK

    I know nothing about latin. I do know a consenant from a vowel. You dropped the third vowel and a consenant.

    Still interesting is how you can change the definition of one word by changing one letter.

  • Gregor
    Gregor

    It is colonOscopy. The third bowel is emphasized.

  • TD
    TD

    I know medical terms are about a 50/50 mix of Greek and Latin, but isn't this particular term Greek?

    The Greek kolon (colon) with a short "O" means "Large Intestine" or "Meat." "Scopy" meaning to see or observe, I think comes from the Greek skopoV

  • Gregor
    Gregor

    OK, td. So, based on these Greek words, when will Armageddon start?

  • Hortensia
    Hortensia

    in medical terms -o- is a combination letter - it is used to make new words by combining old ones - so colon plus scope equals colon-o-scopy. The y at the end refers to a procedure. I took a class in medical terminology a long time ago - it was interesting because it makes no sense at all! I had four years of Latin under my belt when I took the class, so that made it even more confusing than it might have been.

  • hamsterbait
    hamsterbait

    Its just the inconsistency

    We have Colorectal surgery NOT ColonOrectal

    and

    ColonOscopy NOT Coloscopy

    HB

  • Warlock
    Warlock

    However you want to spell it, or say it, you are not going to stick that thing up my.....................

    Warlock

  • Jringe01
    Jringe01

    HB: It's funny you raised this topic now. In the Aug 16th issue of the Economist there is a neat little article on page 57 talking about how the "shortcomings of English orthography" and how the rules for English spelling need updating, not scrapping. Apparently we spell the way we do in part to the "Great Vowel Shift" in the 15th and 16th centuires which left the spelling alone while changing pronunciation, because of the desire to align English spelling with it's Latin roots and finally because, unlike Italian, French and Spanish there is no central body capable of implementing a set of standards.

    "You write potato, I write ghoughpteighbteau"
  • Jringe01
    Jringe01

    Colonoscopy = colin-oss-ka-pee

    They did stick that thing up my ass a few years ago. I fainted when they put the IV in...but the DRUGS...oh man, what a rush. I was high the whole time. They took samples and I got to watch the whole thing on the TV.

    After the gave me the drugs I was lying on my side nervous and cold and impatient. I called out "Are you sure you gave me anything. I don't feel any different". The Doctor replied "Yes, we're already in"...that's when I first noticed the TV. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen, and the fact that he has got that thing up my backside without me feeling a thing I was like "wooooooah...I want more of this"

    I was in SUCH a good mood for the rest of the day though taking the samples was a bit disconcerting. No pain at all but I could feel the tugging. It was like someone was lightly pinching my roll.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit