Otologic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Concerning the medical specialty that addresses conditions of the auditory organ and its ailments
2. Relating to the field of healthcare dedicated to diagnosing and treating ear-related issues and diseases
3. Having to do with the study and treatment of the ear and its disorders

Etymology: "Otologic" is a variant of "otological," and both are built the same way: "otology," the study and treatment of disorders of the ear, plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ical," which turns a noun into a description of something relating to it. The root is the Greek "ous" (genitive "ōtos"), meaning "ear," which also gives English words like "otitis," inflammation of the ear. The "-logy" in "otology" comes from Greek "logia," a word for study or discourse, so the medical specialty takes its name from a plain combination of "ear" and "study." The suffix "-ic" in "otologic" plays the same role as "-ical" in "otological," and the two forms are interchangeable in use. Medical writers tend to favor the shorter form in some settings, while the longer form is more common in general reference.