duodenal
UK[ˌdjuːə(ʊ)ˈdiːn(ə)l]US[ˌduːəˈdiːnəl]
adj
Relating to or situated in the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine immediately beyond the stomach.
Morpheme Breakdown
duoden
al
duoden
twelve
al
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'duodenal' is derived from 'duodenum', the anatomical term for the first section of the small intestine. The Latin root duodeni means 'twelve each', a reference to the belief of early anatomists that this part of the intestine was approximately twelve finger-breadths in length. The suffix -alis was added to form the adjective 'duodenalis' in Medieval Latin, meaning 'pertaining to the duodenum'. Thus, the modern medical term 'duodenal' literally carries the historical, descriptive measurement of 'pertaining to the twelve-finger-length part'.
Analysis
Structure: duoden (twelve) + al (adjective suffix)
duoden (from Latin duodeni, meaning 'twelve each'); al (from Latin -alis, an adjective-forming suffix meaning 'pertaining to').
Examples
The patient was diagnosed with a duodenal ulcer.
Duodenal inflammation can cause significant abdominal pain.
The endoscope was advanced into the duodenal region for examination.