hæma-, hema-
repr. Gr. αἷµα blood; sometimes improperly used as combining form instead of the etymologically regular hæmato- or hæmo-. For such words in hæma- see hæmo-.
These erroneous forms in hæma- are nearly all of French origination. Littré has hémachroïne, -dromomètre, -dynamique, -statique; to French authors are also due hémaphéine, hematherma, etc.
In words derived from Gr. αἷµα, the spelling he- is favoured in the United States, but is rarely used in Great Britain, except in hematite, where it is the prevailing form in industrial and commercial use, and in hemorrhage and hemorrhoid, in which hæ- is however more usual.