Arabic edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Apparently a variant of Aramaic שִׁיסְקָא (šīsqā, jujube) / שִׁיזְפָא (šīzpā, jujube) / ܫܝܼܙܩܵܐ (šīzqā, jujube) / ܫܵܐܙܵܐ (šāzā, jujube) / *ܫܝܼܙܵܐ (šīzā, jujube), hence doublet of زِفْزِف (zifzif, jujube) and زَيْزَفُون (zayzafūn, jujube), since from the wood of various Ziziphus species crude tools were and are made and their woods turn out to be dark.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

شِيزَى (šīzāf

  1. a kind of black wood from which bowls were made, apparently from a Ziziphus species
    • a. 678, الحطيئة, يا لَيتَ كُلَّ خَليلٍ كُنتُ آمُلُهُ (…):
      إِذا يَحارُ هُداةُ الناسِ لَم يَحِرِ
      حَتّى إِذا القَومُ كانوا في رِحالِهِمِ
      كانَ الجَوادُ بِذي الفاثورِ وَالغُمَرِ
      قَد يَملَأُ الجَفنَةَ الشيزى فَيَترِعُها
      When the guides of the people return, they thirst not, until the folks are at their camps, and the horses are at their trays and bowls, then they can fill and implete the wooden stoop.

Declension edit

References edit