Complete the Latin muscle name: abductor halluc___.

Complete the Latin muscle name: abductor halluc___.

• A. hallucis
• B. hallucus
• C. hallux
• D. hallucae

Answer: (A)

Understanding how Latin anatomy names indicate the object of the action by using the genitive form. Abductor hallucis means the abductor of the hallux, which is the big toe. The Latin word for the big toe is hallux, and its genitive singular is hallucis, so the correct completion is hallucis. Using hallucus would be the nominative form and doesn’t express “of the hallux,” hallux by itself doesn’t carry the possessive meaning here, and hallucae is not the proper form for this noun in this context. This genitive pattern (of the hallux) is common in muscle names like abductor hallucis.

Understanding how Latin anatomy names indicate the object of the action by using the genitive form. Abductor hallucis means the abductor of the hallux, which is the big toe. The Latin word for the big toe is hallux, and its genitive singular is hallucis, so the correct completion is hallucis. Using hallucus would be the nominative form and doesn’t express “of the hallux,” hallux by itself doesn’t carry the possessive meaning here, and hallucae is not the proper form for this noun in this context. This genitive pattern (of the hallux) is common in muscle names like abductor hallucis.