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. Poetic form of Ζεύς (Zeús)
   • (Can we date this quote?), Plethon, “λεʹ. Ὕμνοι ἐς θεούς. Ὕμνος δεύτερος, διετήσιος καὶ οὗτος, ὁ ἐς θεούς. [CHAPTER 35. Hymns to the Gods Hymn 2. Second Perennial Hymn, to the Gods]”, in ΝΟΜΩΝ ΣΥΓΓΡΑΦΗ. [BOOK OF LAWS]‎^[1], translation of original by John Opsopaus, PhD:

     Αὐτοεόντος παγγενέταο Ζηνὸς ἀγαυοὶ· / Παῖδες ὕπαρχοί θ’, οἵ τε ξὺν δίκῃ ἡγεῖσθ’ ἡμέων· / Μὴ ὑμέας ποτ’ ἀγοὺς ἄμμες λῆξαιμεν ἔχοντες, / Μηδὲ νόμοισι χρεώμενοι ὀρθοῖς, ἠδὲ φίλοισιν / Ὕμμιν, καδδύναμιν, μούνοις τε εὖ ἄμμε τιθεῖσιν. / Ἀλλά τοι, ὦ θεοὶ, ἡνίοχον νόον ἰθύνοντες / Ἀμμὸν, ὃν ὕμμιν ὁμόγνιον ὕμμες ἐφιδρύκατ’ ἄμμιν, / Τῇ τ’ ἄλλῃ εὖ τὸν βίοτον διάγεν παρέχοιτε, / Καὶ δὲ Δί’ ἔσχατον ὑμνεῖεν σύν γ’ ὕμμι διδοῖτε.

     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; τοῦ Ζηνός (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ὁ Ζήν ho Zḗn
Genitive	τοῦ Ζηνός toû Zēnós
Dative	τῷ Ζηνῐ́ tôi Zēní
Accusative	τὸν Ζῆνᾰ 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