profunda

Profunda is a Latin feminine form of the adjective profundus, meaning deep. In modern usage, it appears mostly as a descriptor in scientific and medical terminology to indicate depth or internal positioning relative to a surface.

In anatomy and medicine, profunda is encountered in compound names. The best-known example is arteria profunda femoris, the deep femoral artery, a major vessel supplying the thigh. The corresponding vein is sometimes referred to as the profunda femoris vein. In such terms, profunda agrees in gender with the feminine noun arteria or vena, and femoris indicates an association with the femur (thigh).

Beyond this, the root profundas may appear in other Latinized medical phrases describing deeper layers or structures, though the more common English forms often use profundus for masculine nouns and profundum for neuter nouns. In everyday language, profunda functions as the ordinary feminine form of “deep” in Romance languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian.

In taxonomy and botanical nomenclature, profunda may appear as a Latin epithet describing a deep habitat or feature of a species, but it is not a taxonomic rank and its use depends on the gender agreement with the Latin name of the genus and species.

See also: profundus, profundum.