גניזה

Hebrew

Root
ג־נ־ז (g-n-z)

Borrowed from Old Persian [Term?] (/⁠*ganza-⁠/, “treasure, depository”), from Old Median *ganǰam. Compare Persian (ganj) and Mandaic ࡂࡉࡍࡆࡀ (ginza). See also גְּנָזִים (g'nazím) and גִּזְבָּר (gizbár) (ultimately from Old Median *ganǰabarah).

גְּנִיזָה • (g'nizá) f (plural indefinite גְּנִיזוֹת) [pattern: קְטִילָה]

archiving, storage, preservation, hiding
- a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Shabbat 16:1:
  וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכְּתוּבִים בְּכָל לָשׁוֹן, טְעוּנִים גְּנִיזָה.
  V-af al pi she-ktuvím b-khol lashón, t'uním g'nizá.
  And no matter what language they are written in, they require archiving.
shelving
genizah, depository where sacred items are kept before they can be properly buried
- a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzi'a 20b:
  סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה חֲזֵי לְמִקְרָא בְּבָלוּי וְהָא בָּעֵי גְּנִיזָה שָׁם תְּהֵא גְּנִיזָתָהּ
  Séfer Toráh ḥazéi l-miqrá. B-valúy, v-há ba'éi g'nizá? Sham t'héi g'nizatáh.
  A Pentateuch scroll is fit to read. For one that is worn out, doesn't it need a genizah? Its geniza is there!