Suffix · forms nouns
From Greek "trophe" (nourishment, growth): indicates the nutritional or developmental state of a tissue. Atrophy, hypertrophy, dystrophy.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
-trophy comes from Greek "nourishment, growth" and describes the developmental state of a tissue: atrophy (shrinks from disuse), hypertrophy (grows, e.g. from exercise), dystrophy (abnormal development, as in "muscular dystrophy").
Prefix (state or direction of growth) + trophy.
Family: -trophy (noun), -trophic (adjective: atrophic, hypertrophic, dystrophic). Also: autotrophic (plants), heterotrophic (animals and fungi). These terms are essential in ecology and biology.
-trophy/trəfi/ · sounds like 'TROH-fee'
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
"trophy" as an English noun = an award or prize. "-trophy" as Greek suffix = nutrition/cell growth. The visual similarity is etymological coincidence.
"muscle atrophy" is specific: the muscle loses mass due to disuse, disease or poor nourishment. Not simply losing weight. "Her leg muscles atrophied after months in a cast."
"Muscle hypertrophy" from training is a positive, sought-after adaptation. "Cardiac hypertrophy" from hypertension is pathological. The same -trophy process can be healthy or harmful depending on context.
A trick to remember it
"-trophy" comes from Greek "nourishment". Picture a muscle receiving more or less "food": hyper-TROPHY = it received MORE food than normal (it grew). a-TROPHY = it received NO food at all (it shrank).
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"Muscular dystrophy" refers to...
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
"Muscle atrophy" occurs when...
The suffix -trophy from Greek "trophe" (nourishment, growth): indicates the nutritional or developmental state of a tissue. Atrophy, hypertrophy, dystrophy. In Spanish it usually maps to -trofía.
The ending -trophy is pronounced /trəfi/ · sounds like 'TROH-fee'. For example, "atrophy".
"a (without)" becomes "atrophy". It is a typical example of the -trophy suffix.
From Greek "haima" (blood): indicates a blood condition or the presence of a substance in the blood. Anemia, leukemia, hyperglycemia.
From Greek "-osis" (process, condition): indicates a disease, pathological state or biological process. Fibrosis, psychosis, metamorphosis.
From Greek "pathos" (feeling, suffering): indicates a deep emotion or a disease. Empathy, neuropathy.
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