sphincter

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William Hupy
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sphincter

Postby William Hupy » Tue Aug 12, 2014 4:01 pm

The Greek mythology of the sphinx (she had a lion's winged body and a woman's head) involved her strangling those who could not answer her riddle. That is, until Oedipus solved the riddle. It was probably this myth that provided Galen with a name for the various muscles that contain that name throughout the human body.
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Perry Lassiter
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Re: sphincter

Postby Perry Lassiter » Wed Aug 13, 2014 3:02 pm

OEtymD Online adds more:
sphincter (n.)
1570s, from Middle French sphincter, from Late Latin sphincter "contractile muscle," from Greek sphinkter "band, lace, anything that binds tight," from sphingein "to squeeze, bind," of unknown origin. First used in anatomical sense by Galen. There are several in the body; the one usually meant is the sphincter ani.
sphinx (n.)
monster of Greek mythology having a lion's (winged) body and a woman's head; she waylaid travelers around Thebes and devoured those who could not answer her questions; Oedipus solved the riddle and the Sphinx killed herself. In English from early 15c., from Latin Sphinx, from Greek Sphinx, said to mean literally" the strangler," a back-formation from sphingein "to squeeze, bind" (see sphincter).

There also was an Egyptian form (usually male and wingless); in reference to this it is attested in English from 1570s; specific reference to the colossal stone one near the pyramids as Giza is attested from 1610s. Transferred sense of "person or thing of mysterious nature" is from c.1600. The proper plural would be sphinges. As adjectives in English, sphingal, sphingian, sphingine, sphinxian, sphinxine, and sphinx-like all have been tried.
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