noun
hypoglossal nerve
Anatomical term for the twelfth cranial nerve, which controls tongue movement.
舌下神経は舌の運動を支配する。
The hypoglossal nerve controls tongue movement.
Compound of 舌下 (zekka, 'sublingual') + 神経 (shinkei, 'nerve'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the anatomical meaning.