Kim from Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada, is studying anatomy and wonders why the lower end of one’s sternum is called the xiphoid process. The word process in this case means projection, and xiphoid comes from the Greek word for sword. Early anatomists likened the sternum to a sword or dagger: the top part is called the manubrium — literally handle— the middle part is the gladiolus — which in Latin means little sword — and the tip is the swordlike projection. The scientific name for a swordfish, by the way, is Xiphias gladius. Many anatomical structures have similarly picturesque names, like tibia, from the Latin for flute, and pelvis from the Greek for wooden bowl or basin. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Xiphoid Process”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi, this is Kim. I’m calling from Asoyis, British Columbia, Canada.
Oh, well, welcome to the show.
Hi, Kim. Welcome.
I studied some linguistics in university, but recently I’ve gotten to the healthcare industry.
So I’m learning anatomy and biology and all that, so lots of fun, interesting words.
But learning anatomy, I got to the chest, and the little bone right below the sternum is called the xiphoid process.
And it just struck me as odd.
Two interesting words that I just didn’t think, like process as a bone.
I just didn’t understand it.
Oh, Kim, I’m fanning myself.
Hold me back here because this is really exciting for me.
I once wanted to write a book on the poetry of your anatomy because so much of this is just gorgeous poetry.
If you think back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and they’re trying to figure out how to name all these different body parts and bones.
I mean, you mentioned that you’re running into some interesting names, right?
Yeah, exactly.
Like the tibia in your leg.
It comes from the Latin word that means flute.
It’s a long, straight bone, right?
Wow.
Yeah, isn’t that gorgeous?
And there are just so many of those.
Like your pelvis, that comes from the Greek word for a wooden bowl.
So this is the little bit of cartilage that extends downward towards your navel from your sternum.
Am I getting that right?
Yes.
And it looks like the end of a sword.
And ziphos in Greek means sword.
And the process may be the word that’s tripping you up there.
Process functions as a noun that means a projection from a bone.
Like you have your coracoid process that’s up in your shoulder.
And that’s another cool one, too, because it comes from the Latin word for raven because it looks like a raven beak.
It’s this little thing.
Wow.
Yeah.
And what’s really cool about the sternum is that the whole thing is shaped like a little sword, right?
Mm—
Yeah.
So at the top, you have the manubrium, which comes from the Latin word for hand.
It’s a handle.
In the middle, the middle part of the sternum that’s going down, that long part, is called the gladiolus, which you might guess comes from the Latin word for sword, like gladiator, and gladiolus, which has sword-like leaves.
And the xiphoid process is, or xiphoid process, is the part that sticks out like the point of a sword.
So that’s X-I-P-H-O-I-D, right?
Xiphoid.
And I want to go back, process.
So process meaning to stick out as a natural outgrowth, meaning to advance or to go forward, right?
To proceed, right?
That is fascinating.
I definitely think you should write a book about that.
I do.
There are so many beautiful names.
Should I put another quarter in here and see what we get this time?
I will just leave you with, I think the scientific name for swordfish is Ziphyus gladius or something like that.
How cool is that?
Oh, there we go.
Right?
Wow.
That is amazing.
Kim, thank you so much for your call.
We really appreciate it.
Thank you, Martha.
Thank you, Grant.
Call us again sometime with more of these words.
It sounds like Martha had a really good time.
I would love to.
Yes.
Thank you.
All right.
Take care.
Bye-bye.
Bye.
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