英语词源字典Z.docVIP

Z not a native letter in O.E.; in Anglo-Fr. words it represents the ts sound (cf. Anglo-Fr. fiz, from L. filius, modern Fitz); late 13c. it began to be used for the voiced s sound and had fully taken that role by 1400. For letter name, see zed. Thou whoreson Zed, thou vnnecessary Letter. [King Lear, II.ii.69] Series of zs to represent a buzzing sound first attested 1852; zees spell of sleep, a nap is slang first recorded 1963, Amer.Eng. student slang. Zacchaeus masc. proper name, from L.L. Zacchaeus, from Gk. Zakkhaios, from Heb. zakkay, lit. pure, innocent, from zakhah was clean, was pure. Zachariah masc. proper name, L.L. Zacharias, from Gk. Zakharias, from Heb. Zekharyahu, lit. the Lord has remembered, from zakhar he remembered. zaftig alluringly plump, curvaceous, buxom, 1937, from Yiddish zaftik, lit. juicy, from zaft juice, from M.H.G. saft juice (see sap (n.1)). zag (v.) 1793, from zig-zag (q.v.). Zamboni proprietary name for a machine used to resurface ice skating rinks, 1965, trademark of Frank J. Zamboni Co., Paramount, Calif., claiming use since July 1962. zany (n.) comic performer, 1588, from Fr. zani, from It. zani, zanni a zany, clown, originally Zanni, Venetian dial. variant of Gianni, pet form of Giovanni John. A stock character in old comedies, he aped the principal actors. The adj. is attested by 1869, from the noun. zap 1929 (sound effect), 1942 (v.), comic strip word (especially from Buck Rogers in the Twenty-Fifth Century), of imitative origin. Meaning to erase electronically is 1982. Zarathustra from Avestan Zarathushtra (see Zoroastrian). zeal 1382, from L.L. zelus zeal, emulation (cf. O.Fr. zel, It. zelo, Sp. celo), a Church word, from Gk. zelos zeal, ardor, jealousy, which is of uncertain origin. Zealous first recorded 1535. zealot c.1300, member of a militant 1st century Jewish sect which fiercely resisted the Romans in Palestine, from L.L. Zelotes, from Gk. zelotes one who is a zealous follower, from zeloun to be ze