Which prefix means word origin?

• A. Chondr/o
• B. Abdomin/o
• C. Etym/o
• D. Later/o

Answer: (C)

The part that signals word origin is etym/o-. This comes from etymology, the study of where a word comes from and its original meaning. In medical terms, etym/o- is used to refer to the origin of a term itself. The other forms point to body parts or directions—chondr/o means cartilage, abdomin/o means abdomen, and later/o relates to the side—so they don’t indicate word origin.