Ζήν

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *dyḗm, accusative case of *dyḗws, which gives Ζεύς (Zeús). Cognate with Latin diem (whence fabricated nominative diēs).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /zdɛ̌ːn/ → /zin/ → /zin/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /zdɛ̌ːn/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ze̝n/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /zin/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /zin/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /zin/

Proper noun

Ζήν • (Zḗn) m (genitive Ζηνός); third declension

1. (Greek mythology) Poetic form of Ζεύς (Zeús)
   • (Can we date this quote?), Plethon, “λらむだεいぷしろんʹ. Ὕμνοι ἐς θεούς. Ὕμνος δεύτερος, διετήσιος κかっぱαあるふぁὶ οおみくろんὗτος, ὁ ἐς θεούς.”, in ΝにゅーΟおみくろんΜみゅーΩおめがΝにゅー ΣΥΓΓΡΑΦΗ.‎^[1], translation of original by John Opsopaus, PhD:

     Αあるふぁὐτοεόντος παγγενέταο Ζぜーたηいーたνにゅーὸς ἀγαυοὶ· / Πぱいαあるふぁῖδες ὕπαρχοί θしーた’, οおみくろんἵ τたうεいぷしろん ξくしーὺνにゅー δίκῃ ἡγがんまεいぷしろんῖσしぐまθしーた’ ἡμέων· / Μみゅーὴ ὑμέας πぱいοおみくろんτたう’ ἀγがんまοおみくろんὺς ἄμμες λらむだῆξαιμεν ἔχοντες, / Μηδὲ νόμοισι χρεώμενοι ὀρθοῖς, ἠδでるたὲ φίλοισιν / Ὕμμιν, καδδύναμιν, μούνοις τたうεいぷしろん εいぷしろんὖ ἄμみゅーμみゅーεいぷしろん τたうιいおたθしーたεいぷしろんῖσしぐまιいおたνにゅー. / Ἀλλά τたうοおみくろんιいおた, ὦ θεοὶ, ἡνίοχον νόον ἰθύνοντες / Ἀμみゅーμみゅーὸνにゅー, ὃνにゅー ὕμμιν ὁμόγνιον ὕμμες ἐφιδρύκατ’ ἄμμιν, / Τたうῇ τたう’ ἄλらむだλらむだῃ εいぷしろんὖ τたうὸνにゅー βίοτον διάγεν παρέχοιτε, / Κかっぱαあるふぁὶ δでるたὲ Δί’ ἔσχατον ὑμみゅーνにゅーεいぷしろんῖεいぷしろんνにゅー σύν γがんま’ ὕμみゅーμみゅーιいおた δでるたιいおたδでるたοおみくろんῖτたうεいぷしろん.

     Autoeóntos pangenétao Zēnòs agauoì; / Paîdes húparkhoí th’, hoí te xùn díkēi hēgeîsth’ hēméōn; / Mḕ huméas pot’ agoùs ámmes lêxaimen ékhontes, / Mēdè nómoisi khreṓmenoi orthoîs, ēdè phíloisin / Húmmin, kaddúnamin, moúnois te eû ámme titheîsin. / Allá toi, ô theoì, hēníokhon nóon ithúnontes / Ammòn, hòn húmmin homógnion húmmes ephidrúkat’ ámmin, / Têi t’ állēi eû tòn bíoton diágen parékhoite, / Kaì dè Dí’ éskhaton humneîen sún g’ húmmi didoîte.

     O noble children of All-father, Being, Zên, / you govern us with justice under his command; / so let us never fail to have you as our guides, / obeying laws that are both right and dear to you, / as best we can, the only laws to rule us well. / And you, O gods, direct us, straightening our minds, / which you have made with nature similar to yours. / Moreover grant to us good order in our lives, / but most of all, with you to celebrate great Zeus.

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ Ζήν; τたうοおみくろんῦ Ζηνός (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ὁ Ζήν ho Zḗn
Genitive	τたうοおみくろんῦ Ζηνός toû Zēnós
Dative	τたうῷ Ζぜーたηいーたνにゅーῐ́ tôi Zēní
Accusative	τたうὸνにゅー Ζぜーたῆνにゅーᾰ tòn Zêna
Vocative	Ζήν Zḗn
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

References

• “Ζήν”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “Ζήν”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers