زي

Arabic

Etymology 1

Noun

زَيّ • (zayy) m

1. verbal noun of زَوَى (zawā) (form I)

Declension

Etymology 2

Disputed; either:

• Middle Persian *zyw- (zīw, “life; lifestyle, manner”), from Proto-Iranian *ǰíHwati, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ǰíHwati. Cognate with Persian زی (zi-, “to live”), Ancient Greek ζω (zō), and English zoo; all ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷíh₃woh₂ (see also زئبق (ziʔbaq, “mercury”) for the same root).
• Proto-Semitic *zwy- (“to contract or pull tight, to tie on garb, to equip or supply what is needed, to outfit or furnish, to fit or fasten something on, to deck or adorn, to dress up or decorate, one's appearance or what is displayed”). Bi-consonantal pair found in related roots like Aramaic זיו (ziw, “appearance”), Akkadian 𒍣𒄿𒈬 (zīmu, zīwu, “appearance, looks”), Akkadian 𒍝𒈾𒉡 (zanānu, “to provide, to furnish, to outfit”), Hebrew זִו (ziv, “a spring month; month where trees are adorned with blossoms”), زَوَى (zawā, “to wrinkle, to contract”).

Noun

زِيّ • (ziyy) m (plural أَزْيَاء (ʔazyāʔ))

1. costume, uniform, suit, dress
2. (in the plural) fashion, vogue

Declension

Derived terms

• زَيَّا (zayyā, “to dress”)
• تَزَيَّا (tazayyā, “to dress oneself”)

References

• “زي” in Almaany
• Fraenkel, Siegmund (1886) Die aramäischen Fremdwörter im Arabischen (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 55
• Freytag, Georg (1833) “زي”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum‎ (in Latin), volume 2, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, page 268
• Wehr, Hans with Kropfitsch, Lorenz (1985) “زي”, in Arabisches Wörterbuch für die Schriftsprache der Gegenwart‎ (in German), 5th edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, published 2011, →ISBN, page 538

Egyptian Arabic

Etymology

Probably from Arabic زِيّ (ziyy, “clothing, way of dressing, appearance”), thus originally “in the dress or appearance of”. Compare Algerian Arabic بحال (bḥal, “like”, literally “in the state of”) from بِ (bi) and حَال (ḥāl), Iraqi Arabic شلون (šlōn, “how”, literally “ what colour”) from شَيْء (šayʔ) and لَوْن (lawn).

Preposition

زَيّ • (zayy)

1. like

   زيّ الفل

   zayy al-ful

   like a jasmine flower

Hijazi Arabic

Etymology

Probably from Arabic زِيّ (ziyy, “clothing, way of dressing, appearance”), thus originally “in the dress or appearance of”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzajj/,

Preposition

زَيّ • (zayy)

1. like

   جِبْ / جيب لي قلم زي هذا

   jibli galam zayy hāda

   bring me a pen like this one

Inflection

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

Probably from Arabic زِيّ (ziyy, “clothing, way of dressing, appearance”), thus originally “in the dress or appearance of”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zajj/,

• Audio (Ramallah)

  (file)

Preposition

زيّ • (zayy)

1. like, as

   Synonym: متل (mitl)

Inflection