"

3.1 Anatomical Language

Learning movement and fitness-related terms is like learning a new language. Many of these words are built from parts (prefixes and suffixes) that act like “building blocks.” Once you understand what these parts mean, it becomes much easier to break down complicated terms and understand instructions, diagrams, or exercises without memorizing every single word.

For this course, knowing these parts will help you:

  • Understand body positioning (e.g., anterior = front)
  • Follow movement instructions (e.g., abduction = away from the midline)
  • Communicate more clearly about exercises and movement

It’s like cracking a code. Once you know the parts, the whole term makes so much more sense!

Prefix/Suffix Meaning
Ab- Away from
Ad- Toward
Post- After, behind
Super- / Supra- Above, over
Infra- Below, beneath
Inter- Between
Intra- Within
Sub- Under, below
Epi- On, upon, above
Circum- Around
Trans- Across, through
Hyper- Over, excessive
Hypo- Under, below normal
Dorsi- Back, upper
Plantar- Sole of the foot
-flexion Bending or decreasing the angle
-extension Straightening or increasing the angle
-duction Movement
-version Turning
-logy Study of

Try This!

Let’s practise cracking the code. Read each word and guess its meaning based on the bolded suffix/prefix. Flip each card to check your answer.

Text Description
This activity contains a set of dialogue cards, which are described below.
Front of card:
  1. Epicondyle
  2. Intervertebral
  3. Inversion, Eversion
  4. Subcutaneous
  5. Transverse Plane
  6. Circumduction
  7. Posterior
  8. Extension
  9. Abduction
  10. Intramuscular
  11. Hypotension
  12. Adduction
  13. Infraspinatus
  14. Dorsiflexion
  15. Hyperextension
  16. Flexion
  17. Plantarflexion
  18. Superior, Supraspinatus
  19. Kinesiology

Back of card:

  1. A structure sitting on or near a condyle
  2. Located between vertebrae
  3. Turning the sole of the foot inward or outward
  4. Under the skin
  5. A plane cutting across the body horizontally
  6. Movement in a circular pattern
  7. Back side of the body
  8. Straightening or increasing the angle
  9. Moving away from the body’s midline
  10. Within the muscle
  11. Abnormally low blood pressure
  12. Movement toward the body’s midline
  13. Located below a reference structure
  14. Flexing the foot upward toward the shin
  15. Movement beyond the normal extension range
  16. Bending or decreasing the angle
  17. Pointing the sole of the foot downward
  18. Located above another structure
  19. The study of movement

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

The Foundations of Human Movement and Physical Fitness Copyright © 2025 by A.J. Stephen; Sarah Fraser; and Connor Dalton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book