Why is "Xy" pronounced as "Ki Shi" in Xylitol「キシリトール」?


Why is **"Xy"** pronounced as **"[Ki Shi]{キ シ}"** in **[Xylitol]{キシリトール}**?

I believe "Xy" can pronounced as "Zai", which is probably a valid sound in
Japanese.

I would like to know its etymology too, if there is any.




It comes from the Greek word **xylon** , which means wood. The Greek word
xylon is pronounced " **ksilon** ", so the Japanese transcription is faithful
to the original Greek pronunciation, rather than the English corruption of the
word.

See the answer to [this
question](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/19493/why-is-x-used-
when-we-pronounce-it-z) for the reason why "x" is pronounced "z" at the
beginning of English words.

As for the origin of the word, the Greek word xylon means wood. The -itol
suffix is added to denote that it is a sugar alcohol. It is produced from
xylose, which was first isolated from wood (such as birch).




It comes from the Greek word **xylon** , which means wood. The Greek word
xylon is pronounced " **ksilon** ", so the Japanese transcription is faithful
to the original Greek pronunciation, rather than the English corruption of the
word.

See the answer to [this
question](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/19493/why-is-x-used-
when-we-pronounce-it-z) for the reason why "x" is pronounced "z" at the
beginning of English words.

As for the origin of the word, the Greek word xylon means wood. The -itol
suffix is added to denote that it is a sugar alcohol. It is produced from
xylose, which was first isolated from wood (such as birch).

