respiratory
UK[ˈrespərətri]US[ˈrespərətɔːri]
adj
relating to or affecting the organs and processes involved in breathing
Morpheme Breakdown
re
spir
atory
re
again
spir
breathe
atory
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word "respiratory" is built upon the latin verb spirare, meaning "to breathe". the prefix re-, signifying "again" or "back", is attached to form respirare, which literally means "to breathe again" or "to draw breath". this concept evolved to broadly encompass the process of breathing itself. the suffix -atory was then added to create an adjective describing anything pertaining to this vital biological function, giving us the modern term for the system that facilitates gas exchange in living organisms.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + spir (breathe) + atory (adjective suffix)
re: latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
spir: latin origin, from the root spirare, meaning "to breathe".
atory: latin origin, an adjective-forming suffix meaning "pertaining to" or "connected with".
Examples
smoking can cause severe damage to the respiratory system.
she was admitted to the hospital with a respiratory infection.
the doctor listened to his respiratory sounds with a stethoscope.