-emia

American  

1. a combining form occurring in compound words that denote a condition of the blood, as specified by the initial element.

   hyperemia.

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-emia British  

combining form

1. a US variant of -aemia

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Usage

What does -emia mean? The combining form -emia is used like a suffix to denote an abnormal blood condition, especially the presence of a certain kind of substance in the blood that causes disease. It is used in many medical terms, especially in pathology.The form -emia ultimately comes from the Greek haîma, meaning “blood.” Haîma is the same Greek root that gives us the combining form hemo- meaning "blood," as in hemoblast.Variants of hemo- (and closely related to -emia) are haem-, haema-, haemo-, haemat-, haemato-, hem-, hema-, hemat-, and hemato-. Learn more about their specific applications at our Words That Use articles for the forms.What are variants of -emia?The spelling -aemia is a chiefly British English variant of -emia.When combined with words or word elements ending with -p, -t, or -k, -emia becomes -hemia, as in thrombocythemia, or, in British English, -haemia (thrombocythaemia).

Etymology

Origin of -emia

< New Latin < Greek -( h ) aimía (as in anaimía want of blood), equivalent to haim- (stem of haîma ) blood + -ia -ia