Zachariah < late
latin Zacharias < ancient
greek Ζαχαρίας |
Zakharias < hebrew Zekharyahu
(= the Lord has remembered) < zakhar
(= he remembered) + Yah / Yoh, a shortening of Yahwah
/ Yahweh (= God).
zany < french zani < italian zan(n)i (= clown) < venetian Zanni < Gianni
< Giovanni
(= John) < medieval latin
Johannes
< late latin Joannes < ancient greek Ιωάννης | Iōannēs < hebrew Yohanan (= God is gracious) < Yah / Yoh,
a shortening of Yahwah / Yahweh (= God) + hanan
(= he was gracious).
Zanzibar < Zengi (= black), a local people + arabic
barr
(= coast, shore).
zap < imitative origin.
zarf (= holder for a coffee cup) < arabic zarf
(= vessel).
zeal < middle english zeal
< old french zel < late latin zelus
(= zeal, emulation) < ancient
greek ζήλος | zēlos (= ardor, emulation, jealousy).
zealot < middle english zealot
< late latin zelotes < ancient greek ζηλωτής | zēlōtēs (= one who is a zealous follower) < ζηλώ | zēlō (= to be zealous) <
ζήλος | zēlos (= zeal).
zealous < medieval latin zelosus
(= full of zeal) < zelus
(= zeal, emulation) < ancient
greek ζήλος | zēlos (= ardor, emulation, jealousy).
zebra < italian zebra
< (?) latin equiferus (= wild horse) < equus (= horse) + ferus
(= wild).
zebu < french zebu,
an asiatic ox < tibetan origin.
Zebulon < hebrew Zebhulun < zebhul (= a dwelling).
zed < middle english zed <
middle french zede < late latin zeta < ancient greek ζήτα | zēta < hebrew zayin (= weapon).
zein < zea
< late latin zea (= spelt) < ancient
greek ζεία | zoea (= one-seeded wheat, barley,
corn).
zeitgeist < german Zeitgeist
(= spirit of the age) < Zeit (= time) (< proto-germanic
*tidiz
(= division of time)) + Geist (= spirit).
Zen < japanese zen <
chinese ch’an < sanskrit dhyana (= thought, meditation) < I.E. *dheie-
(= see).
Zend < old persian zend < pahlavi zand (= commentary) <
avestan zainti- (= knowledge) <
I.E. *gno- (= to know).
zenith < middle english zenith
< old french cenith < medieval latin
cenit / senit [(?) by influence of
latin semita (= sidetrack, side path)] < arabic samt
(= road, path), an abbreviation of samt ar-ras (= the way over the head).
Zenobia < ancient greek Ζηνοβία |
Zēnobia (= force of Zeus) < Ζην | Zēn, poetic form of Ζευς | Zefs (= Zeus) [the master of gods] + βίος | bios (= life).
zephyr < middle english zephyr
< old english Zefferus < latin Zephyrus < ancient greek
Ζέφυρος |
Zephyros (= the west wind).
zeppelin < german
Zeppelin,
a shortening of Zeppelinschiff (= Zeppelin ship) [1900] < [Ferdinand von] Zeppelin [German general who perfected its design] +
schiff
(= ship).
zero < french zéro
< italian zero < medieval latin zephirum < arabic sifr
(= cipher) < a translation of sanskrit sunya-m
(= empty place, desert, naught).
zest < french zeste
(= piece of orange or lemon peel used as a flavoring).
zeta < late
latin zeta < ancient
greek ζήτα | zēta < hebrew zayin
(= weapon).
zetetic < modern latin zeteticus < ancient greek ζητητικός |
zētētikos (= searching) < ζητητός | zētētos (= inquiring) < ζητώ | zētō (= seek for, inquire into).
zeugma < ancient greek ζεύγμα |
zeugma (= joiner, boat bridge) < ζεύγνυμι | zevgnymi (= to yoke).
Zeus < ancient greek Ζευς | Zefs [gen. Διός | Dios] < I.E. *dewos- (= god) {> old persian
daiva- (= demon), old church slavonic deivai, sanskrit deva-} < *dyeu- (= to shine).
zig-zag <
french zigzag < (?) german Zickzack
< (?) a reduplication of Zacke (= tooth, prong).
ziggurat < zikkurat
< assyrian ziqquratu (= height, pinnacle) < zaqaru (= to be high).
Zimbabwe < bantu zimba
we
bahwe
(= houses of stones) < zimba,
plural of imba (= house) + bahwe (= stones).
zinc < zinke
< german Zink, (?) related to Zinke
(= prong, point) (< old high german zint (= point, jag) < proto-germanic *teng-
(= tine)).
zing < echoic origin.
zinnia < modern latin zinnia
< german [Johann Gottfried]
Zinn,
German botanist.
Zion < old english Sion < ancient greek Σιών | Siōn < hebrew Tsiyon
[a hill fortress in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish nation].
zip < echoic origin.
zither < german Zither < old high german zitara < latin cithara < ancient greek κιθάρα |
kithara (= guitar).
zodiac < middle english zodiac
< old french zodiaque < latin zodiacus (= zodiac) < ancient greek ζωδιακός [κύκλος] | zōdiakos [kyklos] (= zodiac [circle]) <
ζώδιον |
zōdion (= little animal) [the zodiac constellations
was figured by ancient greeks as animals], a diminutive of ζώον | zōon (= animal) < ζήω, ζω | zēō, zō (= to live).
Zoe < ancient greek Ζωή | Zōē (= life) < ζήω, ζω | zēō, zō (= to live).
zoic < ancient greek ζωικός |
zōikos (= of animal) < ζώον | zōon (= animal) < ζήω, ζω | zēō, zō (= to live).
zombie < 1. kimbundu (of Congo) nzambi (= god) or 2. [creole (of Louisiana)] zombie
(= phantom, ghost) < spanish sombra
(= shade, ghost).
zone < middle english zone
< latin zona (= geographical belt, celestial
zone) < ancient greek ζώνη | zōnē (= belt, girdle) < ζώννυμι | zōnnymi (= to gird).
zonk < echoic origin.
zoo < a shortening for Zoological
[Gardens], of London < modern latin zoologia < ancient greek ζώον | zōon (= animal) + -λογία | -logia (= study) (< λόγος | logos (= a speaking) < λέγω | legō (= speak)).
zoology < modern latin zoologia < ancient greek ζώον | zōon (= animal) + -λογία | -logia (= study) (< λόγος | logos (= a speaking) < λέγω | legō (= speak)).
zoom < echoic origin.
zoon < ancient greek ζώον | zōon (= animal) < ζήω, ζω | zēō, zō (= to live).
Zoroastrian < Zoroaster < latin Zoroastres < old persian Zarathushtra,
Persian religious teacher <
*zarant
(= old) + ushtra (= camel).
zorro < spanish zorro,
male of zorra (= fox) < basque azaria (= fox).
zoster < latin zoster
< ancient greek ζωστήρ /
zōstēr (= belt, girdle) < ζώννυμι / zōnnymi (= to gird) < I.E. *yos- (= to gird).
zucchetto < italian zucchetta
(= a cap), a diminutive of zucca (= gourd, head) < (?) late
latin cucutia.
zucchini < italian zucchini,
plural of zucchino < a diminutive of zucca (= gourd, squash)
< (?) late latin cucutia.
Zulu < bantu Zulu,
a native name.
Zurich < german
Zürich
< late latin Turicum < (?) celtic *dur-
(= water).
zwieback < german Zweiback
(= biscuit) < zwei (= two, twice) + backen
(= to bake).
zygomatic < latin zygomaticus < ancient greek ζύγωμα /
zyghōma (= zygoma, bony arch of the cheek)
< ζυγός / zyghos (= yoke) < I.E. *yeug-
(= to join).
zygote < ancient greek ζυγωτός /
zyghōtos (= yoked) < ζυγός / zyghos (= yoke) < I.E. *yeug- (= to join).
zymurgy < ancient greek ζύμη / zymē (= a leaven) + έργον / erghon (= work).
