# zi
## Albanian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈzi/
* Rhymes: -i

### Etymology 1

First attested in the 17th century in this form, already 16th in its now obsolete feminine form e zeshkë (“black”). The plural të zinj is recent, built on analogy of other masculine nouns ending in stressed /-ˈi/, and supplanted the earlier të zez. The irregular paradigm may reflect e zezë f sg < *gʷed(ʰ)yā, të zez m pl < *gʷed(ʰ)yoi, zi f (“mourning”, noun) < *gʷed(ʰ)íyā.
Has been compared to Proto-West Germanic *kwād (“filth; evil”), Lithuanian gė́da (“shame”), Proto-Slavic *gàdъ (“reptile”). Also see Lithuanian gẽdulas, geda (“mourning”). Traditionally also linked to Lithuanian žìlas (“grey”). Comparison with Lithuanian júodas (“black”) is difficult to reconcile phonetically.

#### Alternative forms

* (masculine plural)
** të zij — dialectal
** të zez, të zes, të zezë — dated
** të zesë — Arbëresh

#### Adjective

i zi (feminine e zezë, masculine plural të zinj, feminine plural të zeza)
* black (of colour)
    Antonym: i bardhë
* dark, as opposed to a lighter colour
    bukë e zezë ― black bread
* dirty (of water); built for dirty water
    ujëra të zeza ― dirty water
    kanale të zeza ― dirty water canals
* unfortunate, wretched; desolate, gloomy
    Synonyms: i mjerë, i mjeruar, i mjerueshëm, i shkretë, i rëndë, i errët
* evil, bad
    Synonym: i keq
    zemër e zezë ― black heart

#### Noun

i zi m (plural të zinj, definite i ziu, definite plural të zinjtë)
* black person
    Synonym: (derogative) zezak
* unfortunate, wretched, desolate person
    Synonyms: fatkeq, i mjerë, i shkretë
* (chess) black (player with the black chess pieces)

#### Noun

të zi n (definite të zitë) (uncountable)
* black (colour), blackness
    Synonym: e zezë
* mourning (sorrow; clothes)
* gloom, gloominess
    Synonym: zymtësi
* great trouble, suffering
    Synonyms: e keqe, vuajtje
* Used to reinforce interrogative and exclamative sentences.
    Synonym: të shkretën

#### Adverb

zi
* in black
    e ngjeu zi ― it turned black
* very badly, wrongly, unkindly
    Synonym: keq

#### Derived terms

* ar i zi
* bardhë e zi
* kuq e zi
* nxij
* shoh zi
* të zi syri
* të zi ulliri
* babazi
* ballukezi
* brekëzi
* brekushezi
* bukëzi
* burrëzi
* buzëzi
* cërkazi
* cullufezi
* ditëzi
* famëzi
* faqezi
* farëzi
* fatzi
* fillzi
* flokëzi
* gëzimzi
* gullmëzi
* gunëzi
* gjëmëzi
* haberzi
* halëzi
* hallezi
* jelezi
* jetëzi
* këmishëzi
* kobzi
* kryezi
* kthetrazi
* leshrazi
* leshzi
* lëkurëzi
* lëvorezi
* lumëzi
* mendjezi
* mjekërzi
* mundzi
* ndjellazi
* nurzi
* orëzi
* perçezi
* poturezi
* punëzi
* qimezi
* resëzi
* rrezikzi
* smirëzi
* syzi
* shkronjëzi
* shpirtzi
* turizi
* thekëzi
* udhëzi
* vëllazi
* vulëzi
* zhapëzi

#### References

* “zi,~të (të)”, “zi”, “zi (i)”, “zi,~u (i)”, in FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎, 1980, page 2241ab
* Mann, S. E. (1948) “zi”, in An Historical Albanian–English Dictionary, London: Longmans, Green & Co., page 581b
* Tagliavini, Carlo (1937) “zi”, in L'albanese di Dalmazia. […] (in Italian), Florence: Leo S. Olschki, page 293
* Leotti, Angelo (1916) “zī”, in L'albanese parlato (in Italian), Milan: U. Hoepli, page 190
* Weigand, Gustav (1914) “zī”, in Albanesisch–deutsches und deutsch–albanesisches Wörterbuch (in German), Leipzig: J. A. Barth, page 105a
* Kristoforidhi, Kostandin (1904) “ζῑ-α”, in Λεξικὸν τῆς Ἀλβανικῆς γλώσσης [Lexikòn tês Albanikês glṓssēs] (in Greek), Athens, page 121
* Jungg, G. (1895) “ɛii, ɛeɛ”, in Fialuur i voghel sccȣp e ltinisct [Small Albanian–Italian dictionary], page 151a
* Meyer, G. (1891) “zī”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch der albanesischen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the Albanian Language] (in German), Strasbourg: Karl J. Trübner, →DOI, page 484
* Rossi, F. (1875) “ɛii”, in Vocabolario della lingua epirotica–italiana (in Italian), page 1389ab
* Bardhi, Frang (1635) Dictionarium Latino Epiroticum (overall work in Latin and Albanian), page 63: “niger — iɛij”
* Demiraj, Bardhyl (1997) “zi (i)”, in Albanische Etymologien: Untersuchungen zum albanischen Erbwortschatz [Albanian Etymologies: […]] (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 7)‎ (in German), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, page 427
* Çabej, E. (2006) “zī”, in Studime etimologjike në fushë të shqipes (in Albanian), volumes VII: S–Zh, Tirana, page 297f.
* Demiraj, Bardhyl et al. (2021) “zi (i)”, in DPEWA. Digitales Philologisch-Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altalbanischen
* Huld, Martin E. (1984) “i zi, e zezë”, in Basic Albanian Etymologies, Columbus: Slavica Publishers, →ISBN, page 134f.
* Orel, Vladimir E. (1998) “zi”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 524

### Etymology 2

First attested in the 16th century. Early nominalisation of the adjective above, see there for more.

#### Noun

zi f (definite zia) (uncountable)
* mourning (sorrow for someone's death)
    bëj zi për ― to mourn
** 1555, Gjon Buzuku, Meshari, page 47v, lines 88–89:e chξeh {v}ine tane, endeh ћaɛe-//mend[e kthe zinë tanë ëndë gazëmend]and turn our mourning into joy
* mourning (clothes)
* great misfortune
    Synonyms: mynxyrë, fatkeqësi
* famine, dearth, esp. scarcity of bread
    zi buke ― bread famine
* great greed for something, esp. food
    Synonyms: babëzi, lakmi

##### Derived terms

* mezi
* zijos

#### References

* “zi,~a”, in FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎, 1980, page 2240f.
* Mann, S. E. (1948) “zí”, in An Historical Albanian–English Dictionary, London: Longmans, Green & Co., page 581b
* Leotti, Angelo (1916) “zī”, in L'albanese parlato (in Italian), Milan: U. Hoepli, page 190
* Weigand, Gustav (1914) “zī”, in Albanesisch–deutsches und deutsch–albanesisches Wörterbuch (in German), Leipzig: J. A. Barth, page 105a
* Kristoforidhi, Kostandin (1904) “ζῑ-α”, in Λεξικὸν τῆς Ἀλβανικῆς γλώσσης [Lexikòn tês Albanikês glṓssēs] (in Greek), Athens, page 121
* Jungg, G. (1895) “ɛii, a”, in Fialuur i voghel sccȣp e ltinisct [Small Albanian–Italian dictionary], page 151a
* Demiraj, Bardhyl et al. (2021) “zí -a”, in DPEWA. Digitales Philologisch-Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altalbanischen

## Basque
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /s̻i/ [s̻i]
* IPA: (most dialects) /s̻i/ [s̻i]
* IPA: (Biscayan) /s̺i/ [s̺i]
* Rhymes: -i
* Hyphenation: zi

### Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Basque *zinV.

#### Noun

zi inan
* (Northern) acorn
    Synonym: ezkur

##### Declension
### Etymology 2
#### Noun

zi inan
* (Biscayan) Alternative form of ihi (“reed”)

### Further reading

* “zi”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
* “zi”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005

## Cimbrian
### Alternative forms

* si (Luserna)
* ze

### Etymology

From Middle High German si(e), from Old High German siu, from Proto-Germanic *sī, nominative singular feminine of *iz. Cognate with German sie, Dutch zij, Gothic 𐍃𐌹 (si).

### Pronoun

zi
* (Sette Comuni) she, her

#### Inflection
### References

* “zi” in Martalar, Umberto Martello, Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo

## Ewe
### Noun

zi
* deer

## Haeke
### Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *kutu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kutu, from Proto-Austronesian *kuCu.

### Noun

zi
* louse

### References

* Jim Hollyman,K. J. Hollyman, Études sur les langues du Nord de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, page 52, 1999

## Hausa
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /zîː/
** (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA: [zîː]

### Noun

zî m (possessed form zîn)
* (card games) diamonds

## Japanese
### Romanization

zi
* The katakana syllable ズィ (zi) in Hepburn-like romanization.
* (dated) Rōmaji transcription of じ
* (dated) Rōmaji transcription of ジ

## Kwama
### Noun

zi
* eye
* life
* seed
* grain

### References

* Goldberg, Justin, Asadik, Habte, Bekama, Jiregna, Mengistu, Mulat (2016) Gwama – English Dictionary‎, SIL International

## Mandarin
### Romanization

zi (zi$^5$ / zi$^0$, Zhuyin ˙ㄗ)
* Hanyu Pinyin reading of 子
zi
* Nonstandard spelling of zī.
* Nonstandard spelling of zí.
* Nonstandard spelling of zǐ.
* Nonstandard spelling of zì.

#### Usage notes

* Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

## Middle Dutch
### Verb

zi
* Alternative spelling of si; first/third-person singular present subjunctive of wēsen

## Romanian
### Alternative forms

* d̦i — obsolete
* d̦iua — obsolete
* ziuă
* зи (zi) — Moldovan Cyrillic spelling

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈzi/
* Audio:(file)

### Etymology 1

Inherited from Classical Latin diēs (“day”), back-formed from the accusative diem (whose vowel e was once long), from Proto-Italic *djēm, the accusative of *djous, from Proto-Indo-European *dyḗws (“heaven, sky”). May have been inherited from an intermediate Vulgar Latin *dilla , hence why the definite form ziua, but due to -ua dropping in indefinite forms, the indefinite form became zi. Compare Spanish día, archaic Italian dì, archaic French di.

#### Noun

zi f (plural zile)
* day
    Antonym: noapte

##### Derived terms

* bună ziua
* ziar
* zilnic
* ziua

### Etymology 2

Inherited from Latin dīc, the 2nd person singular imperative of Latin dīco, with the final -c being dropped as part of a loss of all final consonants in Proto-Romanian. Compare Italian dì, which also went through the same sound shift.

#### Verb

zi
* second-person singular imperative of zice

## Sassarese
### Alternative forms

* z' (apocopic, before a vowel)

### Etymology

Akin to Italian ci, see there for more.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /tsi/

### Pronoun

zi
* (accusative) us
    Babbu zi portha a SàssariDad is taking us to Sassari
** c. 19th century, anonymous author, “[untitled song]”, in Giovanni Spano, editor, Canti popolari in dialetto sassarese‎, volume 1 (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Cagliari, published 1873, song 24, page 107:Alburea, Alburea E li so’ suldaddi z’hani libaraddiArborea, Arborea and its soldiers have freed us
** 1989, Giovanni Maria Cherchi, “Primabéra [Spring]”, in La poesia di l'althri [The poetry of others] (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Sassari: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, page 13:l’antigga primabéra, più cruderi di tutti l’isthasgioni acchì zi torra a vidda e poi z’ammazza.Ancient Spring, [the] cruelest of all seasons, for it takes us back to life, and then kills us.
* (dative) to us
    Li dozzi no zi piàzini.We don't like sweets.(literally, “The sweets are not pleasant to us.”)
** 1989, Giovanni Maria Cherchi, “Siparazioni [Separation]”, in La poesia di l'althri [The poetry of others] (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Sassari: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, page 65:[…] E lu chi zi paria incridìbiri, aiallu! […]And that which to us had seemed unbelievable, there it is!

### Adverb

zi
* Synonym of vi (“here, there”)
** c. 19th century, anonymous author, “[untitled song]”, in Giovanni Spano, editor, Canti popolari in dialetto sassarese‎, volume 1 (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Cagliari, published 1873, song 35, page 124:Lu soli di Sant’Anna Veni a lu me’ balconi, Viniddinni lu me’ fiori Abali chi no z’è mamma.St. Anne's sun comes to my balcony; come to my flower, now that mom isn't here.

### References

* Rubattu, Antoninu (2006) Dizionario universale della lingua di Sardegna, 2nd edition, Sassari: Edes

## Sumerian
### Romanization

zi
* Romanization of 𒍣 (zi)

## Tagalog
### Etymology

Borrowed from English zee, the English name of the letter Z/z.

### Pronunciation

* (Standard Tagalog) IPA: /zi/ [zɪ]
** IPA: (more native-sounding) /si/ [sɪ]
* Rhymes: -i
* Syllabification: zi

### Noun

zi (Baybayin spelling ᜐᜒ)
* the name of the Latin-script letter Z/z, in the Filipino alphabet
    Synonym: (in the Abecedario) zeta

#### See also

* (Latin-script letter names) titik; ey, bi, si, di, i, ef, dyi, eyts, ay, dyey, key, el, em, en, enye, en dyi, o, pi, kyu, ar, es, ti, yu, vi, dobolyu, eks, way, zi

### Further reading

* “zi”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

## Tarifit
### Preposition

zi (Tifinagh spelling ⵣⵉ)
* movement marker
** expresses movement from a point of origin: from
    yus-d zi FasHe came from Fez.

#### Usage notes

When the preposition zi is followed by a vowel it will take the form zeg.