Laryngeus

Laryngeus is a Latin adjective meaning "of the larynx" and is used in anatomical nomenclature to denote relations to the larynx, the airway organ housing the vocal cords. In English medical terminology, laryngeus appears mainly in Latinized names of nerves and other structures, with the modern English equivalent being laryngeal.

Among the best-known examples are nervus laryngeus superior (superior laryngeal nerve) and nervus laryngeus recurrens (recurrent laryngeal nerve). Both are branches of the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) and provide motor and sensory innervation to the larynx. The superior laryngeal nerve usually divides into an internal branch, which supplies sensory innervation to the mucosa above the vocal cords, and an external branch, which supplies motor innervation to the cricothyroid muscle. The recurrent laryngeal nerve supplies motor innervation to all intrinsic laryngeal muscles except the cricothyroid and provides sensory innervation below the vocal cords.

More broadly, laryngeus appears in various Latinized anatomical terms, but in modern English usage the preferred adjective is laryngeal. The term underscores the relationship to the larynx and is part of the historical tradition of anatomical nomenclature. The concept of laryngeal innervation and function remains central to understanding phonation, airway protection, and swallowing.