The prefix hemi- denotes which meaning?

The prefix hemi- denotes which meaning?

• A. All
• B. Part
• C. Fraction
• D. Half

Answer: (D)

Hemi- means half. This Greek prefix is used to indicate that only one half of something is involved or present, which is why it fits the examples you’ll see in practice—hemiplegia affects one side of the body, and a hemisphere is one half of a sphere or the brain. The other ideas don’t fit as tightly: all would be omni-, a full total; part is too vague to specify half; and fraction is a general term for a portion, not the precise half that hemi- denotes.

Hemi- means half. This Greek prefix is used to indicate that only one half of something is involved or present, which is why it fits the examples you’ll see in practice—hemiplegia affects one side of the body, and a hemisphere is one half of a sphere or the brain. The other ideas don’t fit as tightly: all would be omni-, a full total; part is too vague to specify half; and fraction is a general term for a portion, not the precise half that hemi- denotes.