Hi baraka and welcome.

I have read that the word "sphinx" has greek origins. The Greek sphinx, however, was a woman with a lion's body.

According to this site, [www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg], it states: A Greek word derived from the Egyptian shesep-ankh, meaning the "living image". It designate a statue with a body of a lion and the head of the king, a form that is symbolic of sovereignty.

Hope that answers some of your questions.

Stephanie

In every man there is something wherein I may learn of him, and in that I am his pupil.--Ralph Waldo Emerson