zij

See also: žij

English

Etymology

From Middle Persian zīg (literally “cord”).

Noun

zij (plural zijes)

1. (Islam) An Islamic book that tabulates parameters used for various astronomical events and movements.
   • 2003, José Chabás, Bernard R. Goldstein, “Astronomical Commentary”, in The Alfonsine Tables of Toledo:

     Zijes are comprised of a set of canons and a set of tables. These tables can be grouped as follows: calendar conversions; mean motions; solar, lunar, and planetary equations; trigonometry and spherical astronomy; planetary latitudes, visibilities, and retrogradations; lunar visibility; precession or trepidation; solar and lunar eclipses; astrological tables; geographical coordinates; and star lists. Some zijes may not have had all these items, and others may have had [more]. In particular, planetary velocity tables appear in only [those] that derive from the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghrib.

References

“zij”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (stressed) /zɛi̯/, (unstressed) /zə/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: zij
• Rhymes: -ɛi̯
• Homophone: zei

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch sī, from Old Dutch siu, sia, from Proto-Germanic *iz and *hiz.

Pronoun

zij

1. she; third-person singular feminine subjective personal pronoun
2. they; third-person plural subjective pronoun

Declension

Dutch personal pronouns

	subject		object		possessive			reflexive	genitive5
singular	full	unstr.	full	unstr.	full	unstr.	pred.
1st person	ik	'k1	mij	me	mijn	m'n1	mijne	me	mijner, mijns
2nd person	jij	je	jou	je	jouw	je	jouwe	je	jouwer, jouws
2nd person archaic or regiolectal	gij	ge	u	–	uw	–	uwe	u	uwer, uws
2nd person formal	u	–	u	–	uw	–	uwe	u, zich7	uwer, uws
3rd person masculine	hij	ie1	hem	'm1	zijn	z'n1	zijne	zich	zijner, zijns
3rd person feminine	zij	ze	haar	h'r1, 'r1, d'r1	haar	h'r1, 'r1, d'r1	hare	zich	harer, haars
3rd person neuter	het	't1	het	't1	zijn	z'n1	zijne	zich	zijner, zijns
3rd person gender-neutral8	hen	–	hen	–	hun	–	hunne	zich	hunner, huns
plural	full	unstr.	full	unstr.	full	unstr.	pred.
1st person	wij	we	ons	–	ons, onze2	–	onze	ons	onzer, onzes
2nd person	jullie	je	jullie	je	jullie	je	–	je	–
2nd person archaic or regiolectal6	gij	ge	u	–	uw	–	uwe	u	uwer, uws
2nd person formal	u	–	u	–	uw	–	uwe	u, zich7	uwer, uws
3rd person	zij	ze	hen3, hun4	ze	hun	–	hunne	zich	hunner, huns

¹⁾ Not as common in written language.
²⁾ Inflected as an adjective.
³⁾ In prescriptivist use, used only as direct object (accusative).
⁴⁾ In prescriptivist use, used only as indirect object (dative).
⁵⁾ Archaic. Nowadays used for formal, literary or poetic purposes, and in fixed expressions.
⁶⁾ To differentiate from the singular gij, gelle (object form elle) and variants are commonly used colloquially in Belgium. Archaic forms are gijlieden and gijlui ("you people").
⁷⁾ Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.'
⁸⁾ Not officially recognized in standard Dutch. It has gained popularity, especially in mainstream media and queer circles, as a respectful term for non-binary individuals.

Derived terms

• zijzelf

Descendants

• Afrikaans: sy
• Javindo: sij
• Jersey Dutch: zāi

Etymology 2

Contraction of zijde (“side”).

Noun

zij f (plural zijden, diminutive zijtje n)

1. side (the side of one's body); flank

Descendants

• → Sranan Tongo: sei, si
  • → Kwinti: sei
  • → Saramaccan: se

Etymology 3

Contraction of zijde (“silk”).

Noun

zij f (uncountable, no diminutive)

1. archaic form of zijde (“silk”)

Etymology 4

Verb

zij

1. (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of zijn
2. (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of wezen
3. (Belgium) singular present imperative of zijn

Etymology 5

Verb

zij

1. misspelling of zei