zek

English

Etymology

From Russian зэ́к (zɛ́k), probably representing a pronunciation of з/к (z/k), Soviet abbreviation of заключённый каналоармеец (zaključónnyj kanaloarmejec, “prisoner member of the [White Sea–Baltic] Canal army”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /zɛk/
• Rhymes: -ɛk

Noun

zek (plural zeks)

1. A prisoner at a Russian prison, especially (historical) at a Soviet labour camp. [from 20th c.]
   • 1988, Natan Sharansky, translated by Stefani Hoffman, Fear No Evil, page 235:

     Every prisoner who recants is a potential influence on other zeks to do likewise.

   • 2004 February 8, Jason Burke, The Observer:

     There are the zeks, the survivors of the gulags, some honest about their experiences, others still deluded or traumatised decades later.

Anagrams

• Kez

Basque

Noun

zek

1. ergative indefinite of ze

Breton

Numeral

zek

1. Soft mutation of dek.

Wutunhua

Noun

zek

1. alcohol

References

• Erika Sandman (2016) A Grammar of Wutun‎, University of Helsinki (PhD), →ISBN