glosso-, gloss-, -glossa, -glossia

(Greek: tongue; language, speech)

The human tongue is only a few inches from the brain, but they seem to be miles apart when you listen to some people talk.

—Anonymous
hyoglossus
1. A flat muscle on either side of the tongue, connecting it with the hyoid bone.
2. The muscle that permits the tongue to be held on the floor of the mouth.
hypoglossal
1. Beneath, or on, the underside of the tongue.
2. Relating to or involving the hypoglossal nerve.
3. Situated under, or relating to, the area under the tongue.
hypoglossal canal
The passageway for the hypoglossal nerve in the occipital bone (bone that forms the rear and the rear bottom of the skull).
hypoglossally
Located below, or under, the tongue.
hypoglossitis
Inflammation of the tissue under the tongue.
hypoglossus
A hypoglossal nerve or the twelfth cranial nerve; a motor nerve, attached to the medulla oblongata, which innervates the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the tongue.
idioglossia, idioglottic
1. A developmental speech defect in which a child substitutes different sounds for the correct ones, so that speech is intelligible only to parents or others closely involved with the child.
2. The invention and use of language by a child or closely involved siblings such as twins that is unintelligible to anyone else.
isogloss
1. In linguistics, a speech area in which a line between places that delimits any feature of language; such as, pronunciation, inflection, vocabulary, or syntax is shown.
2. The geographical range of a given word, pronunciation, or usage.
labioglossal
A reference to the lips and the tongue.
labioglossalaryngeal
Pertaining conjointly to, or the joining of, the lips, tongue, and larynx.
labioglossolaryngeal paralysis
A form of bulbar paralysis (weakness and atrophy of the muscles) involving the lips, tongue, and the larynx.
labioglossopharyngeal
Referring to the lips, tongue, and the pharynx.
labioglossopharyngeal paralysis
Paralysis of the lips, tongue, and the pharynx; or the hollow tube that starts behind the nose and ends at the top of the trachea (windpipe) and esophagus (the tube that goes to the stomach).
leioglossate
Referring to a smooth tongue.
macroglossia
1. An abnormally large tongue.

Macroglossia is sometimes said to be associated with Down syndrome, but in that disorder the tongue is actually large only in relation to a smaller-than-normal mouth cavity.

2. Diffuse enlargement of the tongue.

It may be due, for example, to congenital muscular hypertrophy or lymphangioma (structure consisting of a collection of blood vessels and lymph vessels that are overgrown and clumped together), and occurs in certain endocrinopathies.

Cross references of word families related directly, or indirectly, to: "talk, speak, speech; words, language; tongue, etc.": cit-; clam-; dic-; fa-; -farious; glotto-; lalo-; linguo-; locu-; logo-; loqu-; mythico-; -ology; ora-; -phasia; -phemia; phon-; phras-; Quotes: Language,Part 1; Quotes: Language, Part 2; Quotes: Language, Part 3; serm-; tongue; voc-.