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Origin and history of Styx

Styx

river of the Greek Underworld, late 14c., literally "the Hateful," cognate with Greek stygos "hatred," stygnos "gloomy," from stygein "to hate, abominate" (from PIE *stug-, extended form of root *steu- (1) "to push, stick, knock, beat"). Oaths sworn by it were supremely binding and even the gods feared to break them. The adjective is Stygian.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to Styx

Stygian(adj.)

"pertaining to the river Styx," or, in a broader sense, the nether world; 1560s, from Latin Stygius, from Greek Stygios, from Styx (genitive Stygos); see Styx.

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    Trends of Styx

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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    Achilles tendon
    the one vulnerable spot of the Greek hero Achilles, whose mother held him by the heel when she dipped him in the River Styx...
    Hades
    god of the dead in Greek mythology; also the name of his realm, the abode of the dead spirits, 1590s, from Greek Haidēs, in Homer the name of the god of the underworld, son of Kronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus and Poseidon. His name is of unknown origin. Perhaps literally "the inv
    shade
    Middle English shade, schade, Kentish ssed, "dark image cast by someone or something; comparative obscurity or gloom caused by the blockage of light," from late Old English scead "partial darkness; shelter, protection," also partly from sceadu "shade, shadow, darkness; shady plac
    underworld
    c. 1600, "the lower world, Hades, place of departed souls," also "the earth, the world below the skies," as distinguished from heaven; see under + world. Similar formation in German unterwelt, Dutch onderwereld, Danish underverden. The meaning "lower level of society" is attested
    refrain
    mid-14c., refreinen, transitive, "exercise control over, restrain; hold (someone or something) back from action," senses now obsolete, also "exercise control over" (thoughts, desires, feelings, vices, etc.); from Old French refraigner, refrener, refreiner "restrain, repress, keep
    folly
    early 13c., "mental weakness; foolish behavior or character; unwise conduct" (in Middle English including wickedness, lewdness, madness), from Old French folie "folly, madness, stupidity" (12c.), from fol (see fool (n.)). From c. 1300 as "an example of foolishness;" sense of "cos
    obey
    c. 1300, obeien, "carry out the commands of (someone); submit to (a command, rule, etc.); be ruled by," from Old French obeir "obey, be obedient, do one's duty" (12c.), from Latin obedire, oboedire "obey, be subject, serve; pay attention to, give ear," literally "listen to," from
    peculiar
    mid-15c., "belonging exclusively to one person," also "special, particular," from Old French peculiaire and directly from Latin peculiaris "of one's own (property)," from peculium "private property," literally "property in cattle" (in ancient times the most important form of prop
    scorn
    late 12c., scorn, skarn, "feeling or attitude of contempt; contemptuous treatment, mocking abuse," a shortening of Old French escarn "mockery, derision, contempt," a common Romanic word (Spanish escarnio, Italian scherno) of Germanic origin (source also of Old High German skern "
    memoir
    early 15c., "written record," from Anglo-French memorie "note, memorandum, something written to be kept in mind" (early 15c., Old French memoire), from Latin memoria (from PIE root *(s)mer- (1) "to remember"). The more specific sense of "a notice or essay relating to something wi

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