zizanium

Latin

zizānia (cockle, tares)

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ζιζάνιον (zizánion), ultimately from Sumerian 𒍣𒍝𒀭 (zizān, wheat).

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /zizˈzaː.ni.um/, [d̪͡z̪ɪz̪ˈd̪͡z̪äːniʊ̃ˑ] or IPA(key): /zizˈza.ni.um/, [d̪͡z̪ɪz̪ˈd̪͡z̪äniʊ̃ˑ]
  • (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /d͡zidˈd͡za.ni.um/, [d̪͡z̪id̪ˈd̪͡z̪äːnium]
  • Note: the /a/ is apparently long in Sumerian, as known in Classical Syriac ܙܝܙܢܐ (zīzānā) and Arabic زِوَان (ziwān), while it is short in Greek and the Latin scanning varies. The length of the /i/ before the underlyingly-geminate /z/ is unknown.

Noun

zizā̆nium n (genitive zizā̆niī or zizā̆nī); second declension

  1. (Late Latin, often plural) cockle, tares, darnel (a weed, probably Lolium temulentum)
  2. (Ecclesiastical Latin, figurative) used metaphorically of vices such as jealousy, discord etc.
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    • c. 390 CEc. 455 CE, Prosper Aquitanus, Carmen de ingratis 929, (hexameter):
      Spīnīs fulta subit seges horrida zizǎniōrum.
      Perishes the prickly crop of tares that grow from thorns.
    • 348 CEc. 413 CE, Prudentius, The Divinity of Christ 56, (iambic):
      Refert sed ipsa nōsse, quae messem necant / zizāniōrum sēmina.
      Yet it's important for us to know the very seeds of the tares that kill the crop.
    • 5th centuryVulgate Bible, Matthaeus 13:26
      cum autem crevisset herba et fructum fecisset tunc apparuerunt et zizania.
      But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then also appeared the tares.

Declension

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Descendants

  • Catalan: zitzània
  • English: zizania
  • Italian: zizzania
  • Sicilian: zizzània
  • Spanish: cizaña
  • Translingual: Zizania

Further reading

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