Spondyl
/ˈspɒn.dɪl/noun
A combining form meaning a vertebra or a joint, used in medical and biological terms.
Did you know?The Greek root spondylos meant both a vertebra and a joint, which is why it survives in anatomy terms like spondylitis and spondylosis.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
σπόνδυλος (spóndylos)
“vertebra; joint; bead-like segment”
Late Greek / Medical Greek
Greek
σπονδυλικός (spondylikós)
“pertaining to the vertebrae”
Latin
Latin
spondylus
“vertebra; spinal joint”
16th–19th Century
English
spondyl-
“combining form used in anatomical and medical terms”
Modern English
English
spondyl
“a medical/anatomical root referring to a vertebra or joint”
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