Sphinges
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Sphinges

 
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Jim Ward
Guest
Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 7:24 am    Post subject: Sphinges Reply with quote
I read the Sphinx comes from the Greek for "strangler", for her method
of dispatching unlucky guessers (I don't remember that from
Bulfinch!).

A criosphinx is a sphinx with the a ram's head.

I presume "sphincter" comes from the same root.

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Mark Barratt
Guest
Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 4:25 am    Post subject: Re: Sphinges Reply with quote
Jim Ward wrote:

Quote:
I read the Sphinx comes from the Greek for "strangler", for her
method of dispatching unlucky guessers (I don't remember that
from Bulfinch!).

A criosphinx is a sphinx with the a ram's head.

I presume "sphincter" comes from the same root.

Why presume, when you could look it up?
<http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=sphincter>

agrees that both come from the remarkably germanic-looking Greek
word 'sphingein "to squeeze, bind," of unknown origin'

--
Mark Barratt
Budapest
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