%20or%20a%20xystos%20(yep,%20another%20ancient%20weapon)%20although%20their%20story%20may%20be%20set%20in%20an%20Eastern%20church%20where%20the%20xystus%20is%20serving%20Communion%20in%20this%20Word%20Confusion%20from%20KD%20Did%20It.)
I’m continuing to cheat because I haven’t anything in the Xs for a word confusion. So, yeah, I went hunting. Ahem, if any of you know of any more x or z, or, heck, another q confusion, I’d love to know!
A xyster is strictly a surgical instrument used to scrape bone.
A xyston is a spear used by Greek heavy cavalry.
A xystus is quite busy what with being a covered walkway for exercise, a path between trees, a beetle, or an alternative spelling for Sixtus.
Source: Chrisomalis
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.
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| Xyster | Xyston | Xystus |
|---|---|---|
 — |
 — |
.JPG "This example is a lot bigger than I had thought.") — |
| Part of Grammar: | ||
| Noun
Plural: xysters |
Noun
Plural: xystons |
Noun
Plural: xysti Alternative spelling: xyst |
| Noun: [Surgery] A surgical rasp or file for scraping bone |
Noun: A type of a long thrusting spear in ancient Greece, measuring about 11.5–13.9 ft (3.5–4.25 meters) long and was probably held by the cavalryman with both hands |
Noun: [Architecture] A long and open portico of a gymnasium used especially by ancient Greeks or Romans for athletic exercises in wintry or stormy weather A walk lined with trees Another spelling for the Roman name Sixtus [weevil] A beetle genus in the tribe Apostasimerini |
| Examples: | ||
| Noun: Hand me the xyster. The surgeon demanded his xyster. She used the xyster to remove the splinters on her fractured bone. |
Noun: There is a depiction of Alexander the Great’s xyston on the Alexander Mosaic in Pompeii that suggests that it could also be used single handed. Note the secondary spear-tip on the xyston that was both counterweight and backup. The cavalry forces of ancient Macedon, the hetairoi, are believed to have used the xyston. In his Greek-written Bellum Judaicum, the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus uses the term xyston to describe the Roman throwing javelin, the pilum. You can wield the xyston either underarm or overarm, depending upon your personal preference. |
Noun: The Xystus of Elis was the largest in ancient Greece, because all the athletes in the Olympic Games were required to undergo one month’s training there prior to the opening of the games. Within the xystus, there were special places for runners separated from each other by plane trees. Walk with me in the xystus? There were three popes named Xystus: Xystus I was the sixth pope after Peter; Xystus II was killed by Emperor Valerian; and, Xystus III oversaw major construction in Rome. “The Xystus sanguinicollis displays black elytra with striae, dark legs that might have distinctive lighter spots, and a black head” (Neto). |
| Derivatives: | ||
| Noun: xystarch | ||
| History of the Word: | ||
| From the Greek xystḗr via the New Latin meaning tool for scraping, from xuein meaning to scrape, make smooth, equivalent to xys- (stem of xýein meaning to scrape) + -tēr, an instrumental noun suffix. | From the ancient Greek ξυστόν meaning spear, javelin, pointed or spiked stick, goad (literally shaved), a derivative of the verb ξύω meaning scrape, shave.
Later known as the kontos literally meaning barge-pole; the name possibly originated as a slang term for the weapon. |
From the Latin, which is from the Greek xystos, as an adjective meaning scraped, polished, derived from its smooth floor. |
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!
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Resources for Xyster vs Xyston vs Xystus
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Chrisomalis, Stephen. “Index: X.” The Phrontistery. n.d. Accessed 16 Sept 2024. <https://phrontistery.info/x.html>. Index.
Dictionary.com: xyster
The Free Dictionary: xyster, xyston, xystus
Merriam-Webster: xystus
Neto, Oscar. “Xystus sanguinicollis – Flower Weevil (Germar, 1824).” Jungle Dragon. 18 Jul 2018. Accessed 19 Sept 2024. <https://www.jungledragon.com/image/63205/xystus_sanguinicollis_-_flower_weevil_germar_1824.html>. Article.
“Xystus (architectural term).” Wikipedia. 7 Apr 2024. Accessed 19 Sept 2024. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xystus_(architectural_term)>. Article.
Pinterest Photo Credits
Walking Down a Road Lined by Trees and Greek Warrior are both in the public domain via Picryl. Rhinoplasty Rasps courtesy of Facial Surgery and is under the CC BY 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
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