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Zim

( 408 )

Zit

(Gr. κώναμον). For the Romance term see Kanel.

zimperlich, adj., ‘prim. prudish, affected,’ a MidG. form for the genuine UpG. zimpferlich; comp. MidDu. zimperlije, usually simpellje, equiv. to Dan., Norw., and Swed. dial. simper, semper, ‘fastidious,’ E. to simper.

Zindel, m., ‘light taffeta,’ from the equiv. MidHG. zindâl, zëndâl; from MidLat. cendalum (Gr. σίνδων, ‘fine linen,’ lit. ‘Indian stuff’), whence Ital. zendado, and zendale.

Zingel, m., ‘stone wall, palisade,’ from MidHG. zingel, m., ‘rampart,’ whence ModHG. umzingeln, ‘to encircle, surround’ (MidHG. zingeln, ‘to make an entrenchment’), formed like Lat. cingulus, cingere.

Zink, n. and m., ‘zinc,’ ModHG. only; certainly connected with Zinn. It has been thought that Zinn, ‘tin,’ when borrowed by Slav. was extended by a Slav. suffix k, with which as zink it passed again into Ger. (whence Fr. zinc). Other etymologists assume a connection with the following word, because tin when melting forms spikes (Zinken).

Zinken, m., ‘spike, prong,’ from the equiv. MidHG. zinke, OHG. zinko, m. How the equiv. MidHG. zint, OIc. tindr, and ModHG. Zacke are connected with this word is not clear. Late MidHG. zinke (and zint), as a designation of a wind instrument (cornet), has been preserved in ModHG.

Zinn, n., ‘tin,’ from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. zin, n.; corresponding to Du., AS., E., and OIc. tin; a common Teut. term which has no cognates in the allied languages (Ir. tinne seems to be borrowed). Lat. stannum is the source of Fr. étain, Ital. stagno, but not of the Teut. words.

Zinne, f., ‘pinnacle, battlement,’ from MidHG. zinne, OHG. zinna, f., ‘upper part of a wall with openings or embrasures.’ On account of the meaning it is probably not connected with Zahn; MidHG. zint (see Zinke) ‘point, peak’ (OHG. zinna, from *tinjôn for *tindjôn?), is more nearly allied. See Zahn.

Zinnober, m., ‘cinnabar,’ from the equiv. MidHG. zinober, m.; formed from Lat.-Gr. κιννάβαρι, whence also Fr. cinabre.

Zins, m., ‘tribute, rent, (plur.) interest,’ from MidHG. and OHG. zins, m., ‘duty, tribute.’ Borrowed during the OHG. period (comp. Kreuz) from Lat. census (Ital. censo), ‘census, tax.’ The HG. word passed in the form tins into OSax.; in Du., eijns.

Zipfel, m., ‘tip, point, peak, lappet,’ from MidHG. zipfel (zipf), m., ‘pointed end, peak’; allied to E. and Du. tip. Zapfen is the only primit. cognate word in Teut. (Zopf has no connection with Zipfel).

Zipperlein, n., ‘gout,’ from late MidHG. (rare) zipperlîn, ‘gout in the feet’; allied to MidHG. zippeltrit, ‘tripping step.’ Zippeln is an onomat. imitation of zappeln.

Zirbel, f., in Zirbeldrüse, f.. ‘pineal gland,’ from MidHG. zirbel-, in zirbelwint, ‘whirlwind'; allied to MidHG. zirben, ‘to move in a circle, whirl,’ OHG. zerben, AS. tearflian, ‘to turn.’ The Teut. root tarb, ‘to whirl,’ cannot be traced farther back.

Zirkel, m., ‘circle, circuit, company, society,’ from MidHG. zirkel, OHG. zirkil, m., ‘circle,’ which is again derived from Lat. circulus (Ital. circolo, Fr. cercle), ‘circle,’ MidHG. and OHG. zirc, ‘circle,’ from Lat. circus (Ital. circo).

zirpen, vb., ‘to chirp,’ ModHG. only; a recent onomatop. form. So too zischeln, vb., ‘to whisper,’ and zischen, vb., ‘to hiss, whiz'; ModHG. only; in MidHG., zispezen, n., ‘hissing.’

Zistag, see Dienstag.

Zither, Cither, f., ‘guitar, zither’; formed like the equiv. OHG. cithara, zitera, f., from the equiv. Lat. cithara. MidHG. has only zitôle, f., ‘zither,’ from OFr. citole, which, like Ital. cétera, comes from Lat. cîthara. Ital. and Span. guitarra, whence Fr. guitare, ModHG. Guitarre, ‘guitar,’ is, on the other hand, derived from Gr. κιθάρα.

Zitrone, Citrone, f., ‘citron,’ ModHG. only, from Fr. citron, which is borrowed from Lat.-Gr. κίτρον. The origin of the latter word (the East?) is unknown.

Zitter, Zieter, f., ‘thill, shaft,’ from the equiv. MidHG. zieter, OHG. ziotar, zieter, m. and n. The latter can hardly represent *ziohtar (allied to ziehen) on account of AS. teóder, E. tether, OIc. tjóðr, ‘rope.’ The unintelligible ModHG. word was popularly, but wrongly, connected with zittern (dial. Zetter, Zitterstange).

Zitteroch, m., ‘herpetic eruption,’ from the equiv. MidHG. ziteroch, OHG. zittaroh (hh), m. (ttr remains unpermutated as in zittern); corresponding to AS. tëter, E. tetter, to tetter. Allied in the non-Teut. languages to Sans. dadru, dadruka, ‘cutaneous eruption,’ Lith. dedervine, ‘tether, scab,’ and Lat. derbiosus (from derdviosus?). AS. tëter is based like Sans. dadru on an Aryan