1205, from O.Fr.
grifon "a bird of prey," also "fabulous bird of Gk. mythology" (with head and wings of an eagle, body and hind quarters of a lion, believed to inhabit Scythia and guard its gold), from L.L.
gryphus, misspelling of
grypus, variant of
gryps (gen.
grypos), from Gk.
gryps (gen.
grypos) "curved, hook-nosed," in reference to its beak. But Klein suggests a Sem. source, "through the medium of the Hittites," and cites Heb.
kerubh "a winged angel," Akkad.
karibu, epithet of the bull-colossus (see
cherub).
