Revised as of
7 Sept 2022
The sentence which inspired this word confusion, coy versus koi, was “the gleaming scales of gold and silver coy sparkled as they swam beneath the surface”. I had to read it several times before, duh, I realized the author meant koi. Fish. Not that someone was being flirtatious or shy or that the author forgot to include a noun.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end. Consider sharing this Word Confusion with friends by tweeting it.
| Coy | Koi |
|---|---|
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Love, 1919, by Paramount Pictures is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — Both parties appear coy. |
Koi at the Zoological Garden Aquarium in Berlin is Diether’s own work under the GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0 licenses, via Wikimedia Commons. — I do love watching koi. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Abbreviation; Adjective | Noun
Plural: koi |
| Abbreviation: [Military] Company Adjective:
|
A common carp of a large ornamental variety, originally bred in Japan |
| Examples: | |
| Abbreviation: Her little girl is using coy tricks to attract attention. “‘Tis but a kiss I beg, Why art thou coy?” – William Shakespeare She gave a coy response. Adjective: He is coy about his age. |
A friend has a pond with a variety of koi carp.
In colder climates, koi hibernate in the winter. Koi come in a variety of colors and sizes. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Comparative Adjective: coyer, coyest Adverb: coyly |
|
| History of the Word: | |
| Middle English from the Old French coi or quei, from the Latin quietus.
The original sense was quiet or still (especially in behavior). A later meaning was modestly retiring, and hence (of a woman), meaning affecting to be unresponsive to advances. |
Early 18th century from the Japanese, carp. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Coy versus Koi
Apple Dictionary.com
Merriam-Webster: coy
Pinterest Photo Credits
Fish in the Mini Zoo Land,, Slovenske Konjice, by breki74 from Maribor, Slovenia, and uploaded by Sporti is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
