Early anatomists often included the name of the muscle something about its size or length. If a muscle were long, its name would likely include the term longus, while if the muscle were short, its name would contain the term brevis (Latin for "short"). Muscles that were large would have the term maximus (Latin for "largest" or "greatest"), major (Latin for "larger"), or vastus (Latin for "huge") in their names, while small muscles would contain terms such as minimus (Latin for "least" or "smallest") or minor (Latin for "smaller").

3. Location in the Body

Another component of many muscle names is the association of the muscle with a particular area of the body. The rectus abdominis is a straight muscle located in the abdominal region. The palmaris longus is a long muscle that attaches to connective tissue in the palm of the hand. Below are more examples of the Greek and Latin terms for the various regions of the body.

oris (L: "mouth")
oculi (L: "eye")
palmaris (L: "palm of the hand")
abdominis (L: "abdomen")
brachii (G: "arm")
femoris (L: "thigh")
tibialis (L: "shin bone")
peroneus (G: "fibula")
digitorum (L: "finger or toe")
pollicis (L: "thumb")
hallicus (L: "great toe")
costals (L: "rib")
carpi (G: "wrist")
spinalis (L: "spine")
scapularis (L: "shoulder blade")

Where in the body would you expect to find the following: biceps brachii, rectus femoris, adductor pollicis longus, orbicularis oculi, external intercostals, tibialis anterior, spinalis thoracis, peroneus longus?