membrele

Membrele is a term used in Romanian-language anatomy and medicine to refer to the body's limbs or appendages. It is most commonly encountered in clinical texts and textbooks as part of the standard vocabulary for describing human anatomy. The phrase membrele superioare refers to the upper limbs, while membrele inferioare refers to the lower limbs. In everyday language, Romanian speakers more often use extremități to denote limbs, but membrele appears in formal, legal, or historical writing and in specific medical contexts where the term emphasizes the component parts of the body as “members” of the organism.

Etymology: The word derives from the Latin membrum meaning “limb” or “part of the body” and has cognates in other Romance languages, such as French membre and English member, via historical development through medieval Latin and Old French. In Romanian, the form construire for the definite plural is shown by the word membrele, which is used when referring to “the limbs” as a unit.

Usage and nuance: While functionally synonymous with extremități in many contexts, membrele carries a more anatomical or formal register and appears in dictionaries and encyclopedic descriptions. The term appears in anatomical nomenclature, medical case reports, and educational materials.

See also: Extremități; Membru; Anatomy; Medical terminology.