The word 'sternal' is a modern anatomical term formed by directly combining a Greek root with a Latin suffix. The root 'stern-' derives from the Greek sternon, meaning 'chest' or 'breastbone', a term of ancient and uncertain Proto-Indo-European origin, possibly related to concepts of what is spread out or flat. The suffix '-al' is borrowed from Latin -alis, a highly productive adjectival suffix. The fusion creates a precise scientific adjective, 'sternal', which literally means 'pertaining to the sternum'. This hybrid construction exemplifies the standard practice in medical and biological terminology, where Greek and Latin elements are systematically combined to create unambiguous descriptive labels for bodily structures.

Structure: stern (breastbone) + al (adjective suffix) - stern: From Greek sternon, meaning 'chest, breastbone'. In this word, it functions as the root noun denoting the anatomical part. - al: A suffix of Latin origin (-alis) used to form adjectives meaning 'of, relating to, or characterized by'.