Stylos

Stylos (Greek: στυλός) is a term with both linguistic and geographic uses in Greece. In Greek, stylos denotes a stylus or pen—a pointed writing instrument used to inscribe on wax tablets, clay, or other soft surfaces. The word derives from ancient Greek stilós and is cognate with the Latin stilus and the English stylus, reflecting a common ancient Indo-European root for pointed writing tools.

Historically, the stylus was central to writing systems that relied on inscribing characters onto soft materials. In archaeology and epigraphy, stilus-like instruments are associated with inscriptions and marking surfaces. The term appears in various literatures to describe writing implements and related tools, and it has influenced technical vocabulary in several languages through Latin and Greek transmission.

In modern usage, stylos remains the everyday Greek word for a stylus or pen. In English and other languages, stylus commonly refers to devices such as digital pens and touch input tools, as well as the stylus needle used on phonographs; these contemporary senses trace back to the same ancient root.

Geography is another domain where Stylos appears. Stylos is the name of several localities in Greece, reflecting the traditional use of the term as a place name. The exact number and locations of these places can vary with administrative changes, but Stylos is recognized as a Greek toponym in multiple regions.