Harpy
/ˈhɑːr.pi/noun
A harpy is a grasping, cruel, or unpleasant person; in mythology, a monstrous bird-woman.
Did you know?The Greek harpies were not just “ugly monsters”: their name is linked to a verb meaning “to snatch,” which is why they became symbols of sudden, violent taking.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*rep-
“to seize, snatch, carry off”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἅρπυια (hárpyia)
“a snatcher; a mythological winged creature that carries things off”
Latin
Latin
harpyia
“a harpy, a monstrous bird-woman from Greek myth”
Middle English
English
harpie
“a harpy; later also a grasping or predatory woman”
Modern English
English
harpy
“a cruel, greedy, or shrewish person; also the mythological monster”