زي

See also: زی, ری, ري, and ژی

Arabic

Etymology 1

Noun

زَيّ • (zayy) m

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

Declension

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	زَيّ zayy	الزَّيّ az-zayy	زَيّ zayy
Nominative	زَيٌّ zayyun	الزَّيُّ az-zayyu	زَيُّ zayyu
Accusative	زَيًّا zayyan	الزَّيَّ az-zayya	زَيَّ zayya
Genitive	زَيٍّ zayyin	الزَّيِّ az-zayyi	زَيِّ zayyi

Declension of noun زَيّ (zayy)

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

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	زِي zī	الزِّي az-zī	زِي zī
Nominative	زِيٌّ ziyyun	الزِّيُّ az-ziyyu	زِيُّ ziyyu
Accusative	زِيًّا ziyyan	الزِّيَّ az-ziyya	زِيَّ ziyya
Genitive	زِيٍّ ziyyin	الزِّيِّ az-ziyyi	زِيِّ ziyyi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	زِيَّيْن ziyyayn	الزِّيَّيْن az-ziyyayn	زِيَّيْ ziyyay
Nominative	زِيَّانِ ziyyāni	الزِّيَّانِ az-ziyyāni	زِيَّا ziyyā
Accusative	زِيَّيْنِ ziyyayni	الزِّيَّيْنِ az-ziyyayni	زِيَّيْ ziyyay
Genitive	زِيَّيْنِ ziyyayni	الزِّيَّيْنِ az-ziyyayni	زِيَّيْ ziyyay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَزْيَاء ʔazyāʔ	الْأَزْيَاء al-ʔazyāʔ	أَزْيَاء ʔazyāʔ
Nominative	أَزْيَاءٌ ʔazyāʔun	الْأَزْيَاءُ al-ʔazyāʔu	أَزْيَاءُ ʔazyāʔu
Accusative	أَزْيَاءً ʔazyāʔan	الْأَزْيَاءَ al-ʔazyāʔa	أَزْيَاءَ ʔazyāʔa
Genitive	أَزْيَاءٍ ʔazyāʔin	الْأَزْيَاءِ al-ʔazyāʔi	أَزْيَاءِ ʔazyāʔi

Declension of noun زِيّ (ziyy)

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 “[in] what colour”) from شَيْء (šayʔ) and لَوْن (lawn).

Preposition

زَيّ • (zayy)

1. like

   زيّ الفل

   zayy al-ful

   like the 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/, [ˈzaj]

Preposition

زَيّ • (zayy)

1. like

   جِبْ / جيب لي قلم زي هذا

   jib-li galam zayy hāda

   bring me a pen like this one

Inflection

Inflected forms of زي
Base form					زَيّ (zayy)
Personal-pronoun- including forms		singular		plural
		m	f
1st person		زَيِّي (zayyi)		زَيَّنا (zayyana)
2nd person		زَيَّك (zayyak)	زَيِّك (zayyik)	زَيَّكُم (zayyakum)
3rd person		زَيُّه (zayyu)	زَيَّها (zayyaha)	زَيَّهُم (zayyahum)

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/, [zaj]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Preposition

زيّ • (zayy)

1. like, as

   Synonym: متل (mitl)

Inflection

Inflected forms of زي
Base form					زيّ (zayy)
Personal-pronoun- including forms		singular		plural
		m	f
1st person		زيّي (zayyi)		زيّنا (zayyna)
2nd person		زيّك (zayyak)	زيّك (zayyek)	زيّكم (zayykom)
3rd person		زيّه (zayyo)	زيّها (zayyha)	زيّهم (zayyhom)