Etymograph

English

Zion

Zion comes from Middle English Sion, and goes back to Biblical Hebrew צִיּוֹן.

  1. Biblical Hebrewc. 1000–200 BCEצִיּוֹןṣiyyôn
  2. Koine Greekc. 300 BCE–600 CEΣῑώνSīṓn
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CESīōn
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150Syon
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Sion
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1611Zion

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Biblical Hebrewc. 1000–200 BCEצִיּוֹןṣiyyôn
  2. Koine Greekc. 300 BCE–600 CEΣῑώνSīṓn
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CESīōn
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150Syon
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Sion
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1611Zion

Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “Neuertheleſſe, Dauid tooke the ſtrong hold of Zion: the…”

The story

Initial Z- was likely under influence from Early New High German Zion, itself influenced by the Ashkenazi pronunciation /t͡s/.

Every English word from Biblical Hebrew צִיּוֹן

Today it means

name A hill in West Jerusalem, in Israel, on which ancient Jerusalem was partly built; a centrepiece to Biblical accounts of old days and future eschatological events.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Biblical Hebrew צִיּוֹן / Zion

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