Cervikalis

Cervikalis is a Latin adjectival form meaning “of the neck,” used in anatomical and medical terminology to denote a relationship to the neck or neck-like structures. In modern English, the corresponding term is cervical, but cervikalis appears in Latin texts and in some non-English medical expressions where Latin forms are preserved.

Etymology and form: cervikalis is built from the Latin stem cervix, cervicis, meaning neck, with the suffix -alis, which forms descriptive adjectives. As with many Latin adjectives, cervikalis serves to modify nouns in compound phrases describing position or relation.

Usage: Cervikalis is primarily encountered in classical or Latinized medical literature, where it appears as part of compound terms such as arteria cervikalis, vena cervikalis, nervus cervikalis, or columna cervicalis. In English-language anatomy and medicine, the same concepts are usually rendered as cervical, e.g., cervical artery, cervical vein, cervical nerve, or cervical spine. In modern practice, cervikalis is far less common in routine usage and is typically confined to Latin or historical texts.

Relation to related terms: The term is related to cervical, derived from the same root, and broadly parallels Latin phrases used in anatomical nomenclature. It should not be confused with cervix (the neck or opening, as in the uterus), though the same root is involved.

See also: Cervical, Cervix, Cervical spine, Latin in medical terminology, Anatomical nomenclature.