Etymology
The etymology of the scaphoid bone (Greek: σφηνῳδής) is derived from the Greek skaphos which means "a boat," and the Greek eidos which means "kind". This refers to the shape of the bone, supposedly reminiscent of a boat, and in older literature on human anatomy the scaphoid is referred to as the navicular bone of the hand, since there is also a bone in a similar position in the foot, called the navicular. In reptiles, birds, and amphibians, this bone is instead commonly referred to as the radiale, because of its articulation with the radius.
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Famous quotes containing the word etymology:
“Semantically, taste is rich and confusing, its etymology as odd and interesting as that of “style.” But while style—deriving from the stylus or pointed rod which Roman scribes used to make marks on wax tablets—suggests activity, taste is more passive.... Etymologically, the word we use derives from the Old French, meaning touch or feel, a sense that is preserved in the current Italian word for a keyboard, tastiera.”
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“The universal principle of etymology in all languages: words are carried over from bodies and from the properties of bodies to express the things of the mind and spirit. The order of ideas must follow the order of things.”
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