zi

See also: Appendix:Variations of "zi"

Albanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzi/
• Rhymes: -i

Etymology 1

First attested in the 17th century in this form, already 16th in its now obsolete feminine form e zeshkë (“black”). The plural të zinj is recent, built on analogy of other masculine nouns ending in stressed /-ˈi/, and supplanted the earlier të zez. The irregular paradigm may reflect e zezë f sg < *gʷed(ʰ)yā, të zez m pl < *gʷed(ʰ)yoi, zi f (“mourning”, noun) < *gʷed(ʰ)íyā.

Has been compared to Proto-West Germanic *kwād (“filth; evil”), Lithuanian gė́da (“shame”), Proto-Slavic *gàdъ (“reptile”). Also see Lithuanian gẽdulas, geda (“mourning”). Traditionally also linked to Lithuanian žìlas (“grey”). Comparison with Lithuanian júodas (“black”) is difficult to reconcile phonetically.

Alternative forms

• (masculine plural)
  • të zij — dialectal
  • të zez, të zes, të zezë — dated
  • të zesë — Arbëresh

Adjective

i zi (feminine e zezë, masculine plural të zinj, feminine plural të zeza)

1. black (of colour)

   Antonym: i bardhë

2. dark, as opposed to a lighter colour

   bukë e zezë ― black bread

3. dirty (of water); built for dirty water

   ujëra të zeza ― dirty water

   kanale të zeza ― dirty water canals

4. unfortunate, wretched; desolate, gloomy

   Synonyms: i mjerë, i mjeruar, i mjerueshëm, i shkretë, i rëndë, i errët

5. evil, bad

   Synonym: i keq

   zemër e zezë ― black heart

Noun

i zi m (plural të zinj, definite i ziu, definite plural të zinjtë)

1. black person

   Synonym: (derogative) zezak

2. unfortunate, wretched, desolate person

   Synonyms: fatkeq, i mjerë, i shkretë

3. (chess) black (player with the black chess pieces)

Noun

të zi n (definite të zitë) (uncountable)

1. black (colour), blackness

   Synonym: e zezë

2. mourning (sorrow; clothes)
3. gloom, gloominess

   Synonym: zymtësi

4. great trouble, suffering

   Synonyms: e keqe, vuajtje

5. Used to reinforce interrogative and exclamative sentences.

   Synonym: të shkretën

Adverb

zi

1. in black

   e ngjeu zi ― it turned black

2. very badly, wrongly, unkindly

   Synonym: keq

Derived terms

• ar i zi
• bardhë e zi
• kuq e zi
• nxij
• shoh zi
• të zi syri
• të zi ulliri

(compounds):

• babazi
• ballukezi
• brekëzi
• brekushezi
• bukëzi
• burrëzi
• buzëzi
• cërkazi
• cullufezi
• ditëzi
• famëzi
• faqezi
• farëzi
• fatzi
• fillzi
• flokëzi
• gëzimzi
• gullmëzi
• gunëzi
• gjëmëzi
• haberzi
• halëzi
• hallezi
• jelezi
• jetëzi
• këmishëzi
• kobzi
• kryezi
• kthetrazi
• leshrazi
• leshzi
• lëkurëzi
• lëvorezi
• lumëzi
• mendjezi
• mjekërzi
• mundzi
• ndjellazi
• nurzi
• orëzi
• perçezi
• poturezi
• punëzi
• qimezi
• resëzi
• rrezikzi
• smirëzi
• syzi
• shkronjëzi
• shpirtzi
• turizi
• thekëzi
• udhëzi
• vëllazi
• vulëzi
• zhapëzi

References

• “zi,~të (të)”, “zi”, “zi (i)”, “zi,~u (i)”, in FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎^[1], 1980, page 2241ab
• Mann, S. E. (1948) “zi”, in An Historical Albanian–English Dictionary, London: Longmans, Green & Co., page 581b
• Tagliavini, Carlo (1937) “zi”, in L'albanese di Dalmazia. […] (in Italian), Florence: Leo S. Olschki, page 293
• Leotti, Angelo (1916) “zī”, in L'albanese parlato (in Italian), Milan: U. Hoepli, page 190
• Weigand, Gustav (1914) “zī”, in Albanesisch–deutsches und deutsch–albanesisches Wörterbuch (in German), Leipzig: J. A. Barth, page 105a
• Kristoforidhi, Kostandin (1904) “ζῑ-α”, in Λεξικὸν τῆς Ἀλβανικῆς γλώσσης [Lexikòn tês Albanikês glṓssēs] (in Greek), Athens, page 121
• Jungg, G. (1895) “ɛii, ɛeɛ”, in Fialuur i voghel sccȣp e ltinisct [Small Albanian–Italian dictionary], page 151a
• Meyer, G. (1891) “zī”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch der albanesischen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the Albanian Language] (in German), Strasbourg: Karl J. Trübner, →DOI, page 484
• Rossi, F. (1875) “ɛii”, in Vocabolario della lingua epirotica–italiana (in Italian), page 1389ab
• Bardhi, Frang (1635) Dictionarium Latino Epiroticum (overall work in Latin and Albanian), page 63: “niger — iɛij”
• Demiraj, B. (1997) “zi (i)”, in Albanische Etymologien: Untersuchungen zum albanischen Erbwortschatz [Albanian Etymologies: […]] (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 7)‎^[2] (in German), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, page 427
• Çabej, E. (2006) “zī”, in Studime etimologjike në fushë të shqipes (in Albanian), volumes VII: S–Zh, Tirana, page 297f.
• Demiraj, Bardhyl et al. (2021) “zi (i)”, in DPEWA. Digitales Philologisch-Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altalbanischen
• Huld, Martin E. (1984) “i zi, e zezë”, in Basic Albanian Etymologies, Columbus: Slavica Publishers, →ISBN, page 134f.
• Orel, Vladimir E. (1998) “zi”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 524

Etymology 2

First attested in the 16th century. Early nominalisation of the adjective above, see there for more.

Noun

zi f (definite zia) (uncountable)

1. mourning (sorrow for someone's death)

   bëj zi për ― to mourn

   • 1555, Gjon Buzuku, Meshari, page 47v, lines 88–89:

     e chξeh {v}ine tane, endeh ћaɛe-//mend

     [e kthe zinë tanë ëndë gazëmend]

     and turn our mourning into joy

2. mourning (clothes)
3. great misfortune

   Synonyms: mynxyrë, fatkeqësi

4. famine, dearth, esp. scarcity of bread

   zi buke ― bread famine

5. great greed for something, esp. food

   Synonyms: babëzi, lakmi

Derived terms

• mezi
• zijos

References

• “zi,~a”, in FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎^[3], 1980, page 2240f.
• Mann, S. E. (1948) “zí”, in An Historical Albanian–English Dictionary, London: Longmans, Green & Co., page 581b
• Leotti, Angelo (1916) “zī”, in L'albanese parlato (in Italian), Milan: U. Hoepli, page 190
• Weigand, Gustav (1914) “zī”, in Albanesisch–deutsches und deutsch–albanesisches Wörterbuch (in German), Leipzig: J. A. Barth, page 105a
• Kristoforidhi, Kostandin (1904) “ζῑ-α”, in Λεξικὸν τῆς Ἀλβανικῆς γλώσσης [Lexikòn tês Albanikês glṓssēs] (in Greek), Athens, page 121
• Jungg, G. (1895) “ɛii, a”, in Fialuur i voghel sccȣp e ltinisct [Small Albanian–Italian dictionary], page 151a
• Demiraj, Bardhyl et al. (2021) “zí -a”, in DPEWA. Digitales Philologisch-Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altalbanischen

Basque

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /s̻i/ [s̻i]

• IPA^(key): (most dialects) /s̻i/ [s̻i]
• IPA^(key): (Biscayan) /s̺i/ [s̺i]

• Rhymes: -i
• Hyphenation: zi

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Basque *zinV.

Noun

zi inan

1. (Northern) acorn

   Synonym: ezkur

Declension

Declension of zi (inanimate, ending in vowel)

	indefinite	singular	plural
absolutive	zi	zia	ziak
ergative	zik	ziak	ziek
dative	ziri	ziari	ziei
genitive	ziren	ziaren	zien
comitative	zirekin	ziarekin	ziekin
causative	zirengatik	ziarengatik	ziengatik
benefactive	zirentzat	ziarentzat	zientzat
instrumental	ziz	ziaz	ziez
inessive	zitan	zian	zietan
locative	zitako	ziko	zietako
allative	zitara	zira	zietara
terminative	zitaraino	ziraino	zietaraino
directive	zitarantz	zirantz	zietarantz
destinative	zitarako	zirako	zietarako
ablative	zitatik	zitik	zietatik
partitive	zirik	—	—
prolative	zitzat	—	—

Etymology 2

Noun

zi inan

1. (Biscayan) Alternative form of ihi (“reed”)

Further reading

• “zi”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
• “zi”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005

Cimbrian

Alternative forms

• si (Luserna)
• ze

Etymology

From Middle High German si(e), from Old High German siu, from Proto-Germanic *sī, nominative singular feminine of *iz. Cognate with German sie, Dutch zij, Gothic 𐍃𐌹 (si).

Pronoun

zi

1. (Sette Comuni) she, her

Inflection

Cimbrian personal pronouns

		nominative	accusative	dative
1st person singular		ich	mich	miar
2nd person singular	familiar	du	dich	diar
	polite	iart	ach	òich
3rd person singular	m	èar, ar	in, en	iime
	f	zi, ze		iar
	n	es, is	es, 's	iime
1st person plural		bar, bandare	zich	izàndarn
2nd person plural		iart, iartàndare, artàndare	òich, ach	ogàndarn
3rd person plural		ze, zòi, zandare	zich	innàndarn

References

• “zi” in Martalar, Umberto Martello, Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo

Ewe

Noun

zi

1. deer

Haeke

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *kutu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kutu, from Proto-Austronesian *kuCu.

Noun

zi

1. louse

References

• Jim Hollyman,K. J. Hollyman, Études sur les langues du Nord de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, page 52, 1999

Hausa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zîː/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [zîː]

Noun

zî m (possessed form zîn)

1. (card games) diamonds

Japanese

Romanization

zi

1. The katakana syllable ズィ (zi) in Hepburn-like romanization.
2. (dated) Rōmaji transcription of じ
3. (dated) Rōmaji transcription of ジ

Kwama

Noun

zi

1. eye
2. life
3. seed
4. grain

References

• Goldberg, Justin, Asadik, Habte, Bekama, Jiregna, Mengistu, Mulat (2016) Gwama – English Dictionary‎^[4], SIL International

Mandarin

Romanization

zi (zi⁵ / zi⁰, Zhuyin ˙ㄗ)

1. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 子

zi

1. Nonstandard spelling of zī.
2. Nonstandard spelling of zí.
3. Nonstandard spelling of zǐ.
4. Nonstandard spelling of zì.

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle Dutch

Verb

zi

1. Alternative spelling of si; first/third-person singular present subjunctive of wēsen

Romanian

Alternative forms

• d̦i — obsolete
• d̦iua — obsolete
• ziuă
• зи (zi) — Moldovan Cyrillic spelling

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzi/

• Audio:

  (file)

Etymology 1

Inherited from Classical Latin diēs (“day”), back-formed from the accusative diem (whose vowel e was once long), from Proto-Italic *djēm, the accusative of *djous, from Proto-Indo-European *dyḗws (“heaven, sky”). Compare Spanish día, archaic Italian dì, archaic French di.

Noun

zi f (plural zile)

1. day

   Antonym: noapte

Declension

Declension of zi

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	zi	ziua		zile	zilele
genitive-dative	zile	zilei		zile	zilelor
vocative	ziuo			zilelor

Derived terms

• bună ziua
• ziar
• zilnic
• ziua

Etymology 2

Forms of zice.

Verb

zi

1. second-person singular imperative of zice

Sassarese

Alternative forms

• z' (apocopic, before a vowel)

Etymology

Akin to Italian ci, see there for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tsi/

Pronoun

zi

1. (accusative) us

   Babbu zi portha a Sàssari

   Dad is taking us to Sassari

   • c. 19^th century, anonymous author, “[untitled song]”, in Giovanni Spano, editor, Canti popolari in dialetto sassarese‎^[5], volume 1 (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Cagliari, published 1873, song 24, page 107:

     Alburea, Alburea
     E li so’ suldaddi
     z’hani libaraddi

     Arborea, Arborea and its soldiers have freed us

   • 1989, Giovanni Maria Cherchi, “Primabéra [Spring]”, in La poesia di l'althri [The poetry of others] (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Sassari: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, page 13:

     l’antigga primabéra, più cruderi
     di tutti l’isthasgioni
     acchì zi torra a vidda e poi z’ammazza.

     Ancient Spring, [the] cruelest of all seasons, for it takes us back to life, and then kills us.

2. (dative) to us

   Li dozzi no zi piàzini.

   We don't like sweets.

   (literally, “The sweets are not pleasant to us.”)

   • 1989, Giovanni Maria Cherchi, “Siparazioni [Separation]”, in La poesia di l'althri [The poetry of others] (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Sassari: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, page 65:

     […] E lu chi zi paria
     incridìbiri, aiallu! […]

     And that which to us had seemed unbelievable, there it is!

Adverb

zi

1. Synonym of vi (“here, there”)
   • c. 19^th century, anonymous author, “[untitled song]”, in Giovanni Spano, editor, Canti popolari in dialetto sassarese‎^[6], volume 1 (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Cagliari, published 1873, song 35, page 124:

     Lu soli di Sant’Anna
     Veni a lu me’ balconi,
     Viniddinni lu me’ fiori
     Abali chi no z’è mamma.

     St. Anne's sun comes to my balcony; come to my flower, now that mom isn't here.

References

• Rubattu, Antoninu (2006) Dizionario universale della lingua di Sardegna, 2nd edition, Sassari: Edes

Sumerian

Romanization

zi

1. Romanization of 𒍣 (zi)

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from English zee, the English name of the letter Z/z.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /zi/ [zɪ]
  • IPA^(key): (more native-sounding) /si/ [sɪ]
• Rhymes: -i
• Syllabification: zi

Noun

zi (Baybayin spelling ᜐᜒ)

1. the name of the Latin-script letter Z/z, in the Filipino alphabet

   Synonym: (in the Abecedario) zeta

See also

• (Latin-script letter names) titik; ey, bi, si, di, i, ef, dyi, eyts, ay, dyey, key, el, em, en, enye, en dyi, o, pi, kyu, ar, es, ti, yu, vi, dobolyu, eks, way, zi

Further reading

• “zi”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

Tarifit

Preposition

zi (Tifinagh spelling ⵣⵉ)

1. movement marker
   1. expresses movement from a point of origin: from

      yus-d zi Fas

      He came from Fez.

Usage notes

When the preposition zi is followed by a vowel it will take the form zeg.