Talk:psoas

The etymology of psoas is given as: From Ancient Greek ψόας (psóas, “muscles of the loins”), genitive singular of ψόα (psóa).

But I cannot find ψόα in any ancient Greek dictionary. See, for example, https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=yoa&la=greek#lexicon

There is a word ψώα, but it does not mean muscle of the loin. LSJ gives: ψώα, ἡ, A.rottenness, putrid stench, A.R.Fr.5: but ψῶα: μέρος περὶ τὸν ὦμον, Hdn.Epim.155. ψωδαρέον: αὐχμηρόν, Hsch. (ψωραλέον Ruhnk.). https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=ywa&la=greek#Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=yw/a-contents  Note that the phrase after "but" translates to: part around the shoulder.

So, the etymology of psoas is unclear.

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After more searching, I have found a definition of psoa:

ψόα or ψύα, ἡ, more freq. in pl. ψόαι or ψύαι,

A.muscles of the loins (cf. ἀλώπηξ IV), Hp.Art.45 (ψύας codd.MV), Nat.Hom.11 (ψόας), cf. Oss. 18 (ψύαν), Morb.Sacr.3 (ψύην), and LXX Le.3.9, 2 Ki.2.23, Ps.37(38).8, al.; “ψύαι” Euphro 7, Clearch.72, Aret.CD2.3 (but “ψόαι” Id.SD2.3); acc. pl. ψοιάς (v.l. ψύας, ψυάς) Polybus ap.Arist.HA512b21: “ψόα” LXX Le. l.c. and three times in cod. Vat. of 2 Ki. (cod.Alex. ψοία）; ψύαι Ps. l.c. (corrupted to ψυχή): acc. pl. ψόας in Bilabel “Ὀψαρτ.” p.11:—Hsch. has ψίαι, ψειαί, and ψυῖαι, also φοῦαι and ψύλλες: the word in all its spellings is declared un-Attic by Phryn.269, Phot.; the form ψύη was recognized by Irenaeus ap. Orion.col.168. [υ^ in ψύαι, Euphro l. c.; but υ_ in an Epic Fragm. in Ath.9.399a, ψύας ἔγχεϊ νύξε, where perh. ψοίας shd. be written.]

Henry George Liddell. Robert Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by. Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with the assistance of. Roderick McKenzie. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1940.

So, I'm now convinced.