WotD: sty(e)

[muckefuck]

1. das Gerstenkorn
2. het strontje, de stijg
3. el orzuelo, la perrilla (Mex.)
4. l'urçol
5. l'orgelet
6. an sleamhnán
7. y llefelyn
8. jęczmień
9. 다래끼, 맥립종 (麥粒腫)
10. (偷)針眼 (tōu)zhēnyan
11. 麦粒腫 (ばくりゅうしゅ)

Notes: The Latin word for this type of minor eye infection was hordeolus, a diminutive of hordeum "barley", and that underlies the Romance and East Asian terms given here with the exception of perrilla (poss. an alternation of perlilla "small pearl") and native Korean 다래끼. In addition, the German and Polish terms are calques, these being the usual words for "barleycorn". Naturally, other forms are found in the dialects, such as Alemannic Wegschisser and Urschili (the latter of which looks like an alteration of the Latin with the characteristic South Alemannic diminutive suffix).

Also representing a diminutive is Strontje, from stront "crap". By contrast, stijg is cognate with the English. The English word actually has an interesting history, being a backformation from styany which was interpreted as "sty-on-eye". The -y does stand for "eye", but styan actually means "that which rises". (Cf. Ger. steigend "rising".) The (Southern) Welsh form shows reanalysis as well, at least according to the GPC, which etymologises it as lle "place" + melyn "yellow". In current usage, however, the -yn is interpreted as a masculine diminutive suffix, thus yielding the plural llefelod.

I noticed on Thursday that the lower lid of my left eye was red and inflamed. Neither the Old Man or I could see the sty which caused it, but my doctor spotted it right away when I went to see her yesterday (part of the reason why I decided to stay with her for another year despite the fact that we reckon it's going to cost me more overall than switching to an HMO and starting over again with someone entirely new).