medial
UK: ˈmiːdiəl | US: ˈmiːdiəl
adj. relating to or situated in the middle
adj. (anatomy) toward the midline of the body
adj. (linguistics) pertaining to a voiced stop or fricative sound
medial = medi<middle> + al<adjective suffix>
- medi: From Latin medius, meaning "middle." This root appears in words like median and mediate.
- al: A suffix forming adjectives, derived from Latin -alis, indicating "pertaining to."
Etymology Origin:
The word medial traces back to Latin medialis, combining medius (middle) and the adjectival suffix -alis. It entered English in the late 16th century, originally used in anatomical contexts to describe structures near the body's midline. Over time, its usage expanded to linguistics (e.g., medial sounds) and general contexts denoting centrality. The logic is straightforward: medi- anchors the core meaning of "middle," while -al adapts it into an adjective.
The medial line divides the body into left and right halves.
In phonetics, a medial consonant often appears between vowels.
The sculpture was placed in the medial section of the gallery.
She felt pain along the medial side of her knee.
The medial vowel in the word "butter" varies by dialect.