cyclopis

Cyclopis is a term derived from ancient Greek used to describe a being with a single eye. In English, it is a far less common form than cyclops, from which it ultimately originates. The standard noun for the creature is cyclops (plural cyclopes), and its related adjective forms include cyclopic and, in some phrases, cyclopean.

Etymology and usage of the term reflect its mythic roots. The Greek word kyklops means “circle-eyed,” from kyklos (circle) and ophthalmos (eye). In classical sources, the word appears in two broad traditions: a primordial race of one-eyed smiths and workers of metal, and a later group of formidable one-eyed giants. The former are described in Hesiod’s Theogony as three cyclopes—Brontes, Steropes, and Arges—who forged Zeus’s thunderbolts. The latter group appears in Homeric and later legends, typified by the Cyclops encountered by Odysseus, such as Polyphemus.

Cultural impact of the term extends beyond myth. In architecture and literature, the name Cyclopes gave rise to the adjective cyclopean, used to describe colossal, irregular masonry and other grandiose features associated with ancient, mythic strength. In modern usage, cyclopis remains rare; most writers favor cyclops or the adjectival forms cyclopic or cyclopean. The term continues to appear in scholarly discussions of Greek myth and in translations that preserve older or alternative spellings of the same mythic beings.