Bingley, thanks for sharding some light on the subject.

There must have been a minimum number of shards required for ostracizing, then exiling a citizen.

tsuwm: I'm really not suggesting that because two English words look alike and have similar languages of origin, before assuming current English forms, that there's a connection. What roused my curiosity in the first place was the similarity between the Greek roots, and that's where I wondered were there a connection between those roots. My sources here are limited, at least the ones I currently have. It appears that oyster clearly comes from "bone," but I still don't know where the "osterous" in monosterous comes from if I trace it as far back as I am able. That's why I had hoped for some elucidation from you, who often helps us open recalcitrant oysters here.

Anyway, my curiosity (hmmm, wonder whether that osity was ever related to bones...just kidding, really) is temporarily quiescent, though not ossified, about this matter. I'll bone up on the subject when it flares up again.

Best regards,
WW