زي

See also: زی, ری, ري, and ژی

Arabic

Etymology 1

Noun

زَيّ • (zayy) m

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

Declension

Declension of noun زَيّ (zayy)

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

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

Declension of noun زِيّ (ziyy)

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

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^[1] (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^[2] (in German), 5th edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, published 2011, →ISBN, page 538

Egyptian Arabic

Etymology

Probably inherited from Arabic سِيّ (siyy, “same as, like”). Compare Arabic لَصِقَ (laṣiqa), لَزِقَ (laziqa), لَسِقَ (lasiqa, “to stick”). Unlikely to be related to Arabic زِيّ (ziyy, “clothing”) despite surface similarity.

Preposition

زَيّ • (zayy)

1. like

   زيّ الفل ― zayy al-ful ― like the jasmine flower

Hijazi Arabic

Etymology

Probably inherited from Arabic سِيّ (siyy, “same as, like”). Compare Arabic لَصِقَ (laṣiqa), لَزِقَ (laziqa), لَسِقَ (lasiqa, “to stick”). Unlikely to be related to Arabic زِيّ (ziyy, “clothing”) despite surface similarity.

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

Inflection 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)

Najdi Arabic

Etymology

Probably inherited from Arabic سِيّ (siyy, “same as, like”). Compare Arabic لَصِقَ (laṣiqa), لَزِقَ (laziqa), لَسِقَ (lasiqa, “to stick”). Unlikely to be related to Arabic زِيّ (ziyy, “clothing”) despite surface similarity.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzajj/, [ˈzaj]

Preposition

زَيّ • (zayy)

1. like, likeness
2. equals to
3. same as
4. similar to

   Synonyms: مثل (miṯil), كـ (ka, ki, ci), كما (kima, cima), كأن (kaʔann, kann), كن (kinn, cinn), شروى (šarwa), نَفْس (nafs), تقول (tigūl), تقل (tigil)

   زَيِّك زَيَّ الݭَلْب ― zayyik zayyal calb ― ~Your "likeness" is "like" a dog

Inflection

Inflection of زي

base form				زَيّ (zayy)
Personal-pronoun including forms
	singular		plural
	m	f	m	f
1st person	زَيِّي (zayyi)		زَيَِّنا (zayyena)
2nd person	زَيَِّك (zayyek)	زَيَِّݭ (zayyec)	زَيُّكُم (zayyʊkɤ̞m)/زَيَّكَم (zayyakäm)	زَيَِّكِن (zayyekɪn)
3rd person	زَيَُّه (zayyoʰ)	زَيَّه (zayyaʰ)	زَيُّهُم (zayyʊhɤ̞m)/زَيَّهَم (zayyahäm)	زَيَِّهِن (zayyehɪn)

References

• https://shamela.ws/book/15043/213#p1

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

Probably inherited from Arabic سِيّ (siyy, “same as, like”). Compare Arabic لَصِقَ (laṣiqa), لَزِقَ (laziqa), لَسِقَ (lasiqa, “to stick”). Unlikely to be related to Arabic زِيّ (ziyy, “clothing”) despite surface similarity.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zajj/, [zaj]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Preposition

زيّ • (zayy)

1. like, as

   Synonym: متل (mitl)

Inflection

Inflection 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)