glottic

The word 'glottic' is a modern anatomical adjective derived from the Greek 'glōttis', which referred to the tongue or the laryngeal aperture. The Greek term itself is believed to be a derivative of 'glōtta', the Attic form of 'glōssa', meaning tongue. The suffix '-ic', entering English via Latin and French, is a standard adjectival formant. Thus, 'glottic' literally means "pertaining to the glottis," the part of the larynx consisting of the vocal cords and the opening between them, maintaining a direct link to its Greek anatomical origin.

Structure: glott (glottis) + ic (adjective suffix) glott (from Greek 'glōttis' or 'glōtta', meaning tongue or the mouth of the windpipe); ic (from Latin '-icus', Greek '-ikos', a suffix forming adjectives meaning 'of, pertaining to').