Memorizing word parts ambi-, ambo-, and amphi-

Memorize the meanings of a little over a thousand medical word parts and a high school student would have the fundamental building blocks of a medical vocabulary. Using association and mnemonic techniques like acronyms and memory stories I think this medical term memory challenge could be accomplished by any self-motivated student in about six months.

blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for associating between words we know and medical terms that contain the same word part.

reddish brown words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.

Word parts and memory stories from High Speed Memory Techniques for Medical Terminology.

[Besides today's word parts this book includes all the other medical word parts in the medical terms below and most of the common word parts.]

ambi- ambo- from L. ambo, both, means "both, around, on all or both sides". [ambidexterous, lit. right hands on both sides, fig. using both hands with equal skill, ambiguous, lit. driving both, fig. capable of being understood in two or more senses, ambitious, lit. to go around, fig. to go around soliciting for help or votes, ambient, lit. that which is around, ambilateral, lit. relating to both sides, ambiversion, lit. to turn both (directions) amboceptor, lit. that which takes both]

amph-, amphi-, ampho- from Gr. ampho, two sided, means "both sides, surrounding, double". [amphibious, lit. the characteristic of having a double life, fig. an animal or plant living in both water and on land, amphitheater, lit./fig. a surrounding theater, amphiaster, lit. double star, amphichromatic, lit. the nature of double color, amphicrania, lit. both sides of the head condition, Amphioxus, lit. both sides or surrounding sharp, amphithymia, lit. double mind condition, amphiphil, lit. double loving or fondness]

Memory Story: Warning, could be offensive to some people: You're a bar patron and have had way too much to drink because you're beginning to see double and triple. You slur to the hallucination of yourself on the right, "I am buying (ambi-) us both a round". Your hallucination of yourself on the rights says, "I am fine", (amphi-) and your hallucination of yourself on the left says, "I am fine (amphi-) too."