haima

Haima is a term of Ancient Greek origin meaning blood (Greek αἷμα, haima). In modern medicine and biology it serves as the etymological source for many terms that concern blood. The English forms haemat-, haem-, and -haeme derive from this root, while American usage commonly favors hem- and hemat- in similar compounds.

In medical terminology, haima gives rise to a wide range of terms. Common examples include haemoglobin, haemostasis, haemorrhage, and haemophilia. The study of blood and its diseases is called haematology (American spelling hematology). The suffixes -emia (a condition of the blood, as in anemia) and -logy (the study of) are frequently attached to haima-derived roots to form related terms. The prefix haem- or hemat- is also used in describing blood-related processes, tissues, and disorders, such as hematopoiesis (the formation of blood cells) or haemolysis (destruction of red blood cells).

Beyond its medical usage, haima may appear as a proper noun in geographic or personal names in some languages, though its primary association is with blood. The root also underpins related terms across physiology and pathology, and connects to other blood-related words such as heme and hematite, which trace back to the same Greek origin.

See also: haem-, hemat-, hem-, heme, hematology.