زفت

Arabic

Etymology 1

Of uncertain ultimate origin. Related to Jewish Palestinian Aramaic, Jewish Literary Aramaic, Jewish Babylonian Aramaic זִפתָּא (zip̄tā) / זִיפתָּא (zip̄tā), Classical Syriac ܙܦܬܐ (zep̄tā), ܙܒܬܐ (zeḇtā), Hebrew זֶפֶת (zéfeṯ), possibly Arabic-borrowed Ge'ez ዝፍት (zəft) and Semitic-borrowed Old Armenian ձիւթ (jiwtʻ) and Old Georgian ძივთი (ʒivti). Neo-Babylonian 𒍣𒅁𒌈 (zi-ib-tum /⁠ziptu, zibtu⁠/), once glossed “pitch” and rare enough to be West Semitic borrowing, is more correctly glossed “a stone”.

Noun

زِفْت • (zift) m

1. pitch, tar, latex, asphalt

Declension

Declension of noun زِفْت (zift)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	زِفْت zift	الزِّفْت az-zift	زِفْت zift
Nominative	زِفْتٌ ziftun	الزِّفْتُ az-ziftu	زِفْتُ ziftu
Accusative	زِفْتًا ziftan	الزِّفْتَ az-zifta	زِفْتَ zifta
Genitive	زِفْتٍ ziftin	الزِّفْتِ az-zifti	زِفْتِ zifti

Descendants

• → Northern Kurdish: zift
• → Ottoman Turkish: زفت (zift), زیفت (zift)
  • Turkish: zift
  • → Armenian: զիֆթ (ziftʻ), զիֆտ (zift)
  • → Bulgarian: зифт (zift)
  • → Georgian: ზივთი (zivti), ზიფთი (zipti)
  • → Greek: ζίφτι (zífti)
  • → Laz: ზიჶთი (zifti), ზიჶტი (zifťi)
  • → Macedonian: зифт (zift)
  • → Serbo-Croatian: зи̏фт / zȉft
• → Persian: زفت (zeft)

Further reading

• “zpt”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Fraenkel, Siegmund (1886) Die aramäischen Fremdwörter im Arabischen (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 151
• Hübschmann, Heinrich (1897) Armenische Grammatik. 1. Theil: Armenische Etymologie (in German), Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, pages 185, 310
• Müller, Friedrich (1894) “Pahlawi, neupersische und armenische Etymologien”, in Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes (in German), volume 8, page 283

Etymology 2

Denominal verb of زِفْت (zift).

Verb

زَفَّتَ • (zaffata) II (non-past يُزَفِّتُ (yuzaffitu), verbal noun تَزْفِيت (tazfīt))

1. to smear pitch onto

Conjugation

    Conjugation of زَفَّتَ (II, sound, full passive, verbal noun تَزْفِيت)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						تَزْفِيت tazfīt
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						مُزَفِّت muzaffit
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مُزَفَّت muzaffat
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	زَفَّتُّ zaffattu	زَفَّتَّ zaffatta	زَفَّتَ zaffata		زَفَّتُّمَا zaffattumā	زَفَّتَا zaffatā		زَفَّتْنَا zaffatnā	زَفَّتُّمْ zaffattum	زَفَّتُوا zaffatū
	f		زَفَّتِّ zaffatti	زَفَّتَتْ zaffatat			زَفَّتَتَا zaffatatā			زَفَّتُّنَّ zaffattunna	زَفَّتْنَ zaffatna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُزَفِّتُ ʔuzaffitu	تُزَفِّتُ tuzaffitu	يُزَفِّتُ yuzaffitu		تُزَفِّتَانِ tuzaffitāni	يُزَفِّتَانِ yuzaffitāni		نُزَفِّتُ nuzaffitu	تُزَفِّتُونَ tuzaffitūna	يُزَفِّتُونَ yuzaffitūna
	f		تُزَفِّتِينَ tuzaffitīna	تُزَفِّتُ tuzaffitu			تُزَفِّتَانِ tuzaffitāni			تُزَفِّتْنَ tuzaffitna	يُزَفِّتْنَ yuzaffitna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُزَفِّتَ ʔuzaffita	تُزَفِّتَ tuzaffita	يُزَفِّتَ yuzaffita		تُزَفِّتَا tuzaffitā	يُزَفِّتَا yuzaffitā		نُزَفِّتَ nuzaffita	تُزَفِّتُوا tuzaffitū	يُزَفِّتُوا yuzaffitū
	f		تُزَفِّتِي tuzaffitī	تُزَفِّتَ tuzaffita			تُزَفِّتَا tuzaffitā			تُزَفِّتْنَ tuzaffitna	يُزَفِّتْنَ yuzaffitna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُزَفِّتْ ʔuzaffit	تُزَفِّتْ tuzaffit	يُزَفِّتْ yuzaffit		تُزَفِّتَا tuzaffitā	يُزَفِّتَا yuzaffitā		نُزَفِّتْ nuzaffit	تُزَفِّتُوا tuzaffitū	يُزَفِّتُوا yuzaffitū
	f		تُزَفِّتِي tuzaffitī	تُزَفِّتْ tuzaffit			تُزَفِّتَا tuzaffitā			تُزَفِّتْنَ tuzaffitna	يُزَفِّتْنَ yuzaffitna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		زَفِّتْ zaffit			زَفِّتَا zaffitā				زَفِّتُوا zaffitū
	f		زَفِّتِي zaffitī							زَفِّتْنَ zaffitna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	زُفِّتُّ zuffittu	زُفِّتَّ zuffitta	زُفِّتَ zuffita		زُفِّتُّمَا zuffittumā	زُفِّتَا zuffitā		زُفِّتْنَا zuffitnā	زُفِّتُّمْ zuffittum	زُفِّتُوا zuffitū
	f		زُفِّتِّ zuffitti	زُفِّتَتْ zuffitat			زُفِّتَتَا zuffitatā			زُفِّتُّنَّ zuffittunna	زُفِّتْنَ zuffitna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُزَفَّتُ ʔuzaffatu	تُزَفَّتُ tuzaffatu	يُزَفَّتُ yuzaffatu		تُزَفَّتَانِ tuzaffatāni	يُزَفَّتَانِ yuzaffatāni		نُزَفَّتُ nuzaffatu	تُزَفَّتُونَ tuzaffatūna	يُزَفَّتُونَ yuzaffatūna
	f		تُزَفَّتِينَ tuzaffatīna	تُزَفَّتُ tuzaffatu			تُزَفَّتَانِ tuzaffatāni			تُزَفَّتْنَ tuzaffatna	يُزَفَّتْنَ yuzaffatna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُزَفَّتَ ʔuzaffata	تُزَفَّتَ tuzaffata	يُزَفَّتَ yuzaffata		تُزَفَّتَا tuzaffatā	يُزَفَّتَا yuzaffatā		نُزَفَّتَ nuzaffata	تُزَفَّتُوا tuzaffatū	يُزَفَّتُوا yuzaffatū
	f		تُزَفَّتِي tuzaffatī	تُزَفَّتَ tuzaffata			تُزَفَّتَا tuzaffatā			تُزَفَّتْنَ tuzaffatna	يُزَفَّتْنَ yuzaffatna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُزَفَّتْ ʔuzaffat	تُزَفَّتْ tuzaffat	يُزَفَّتْ yuzaffat		تُزَفَّتَا tuzaffatā	يُزَفَّتَا yuzaffatā		نُزَفَّتْ nuzaffat	تُزَفَّتُوا tuzaffatū	يُزَفَّتُوا yuzaffatū
	f		تُزَفَّتِي tuzaffatī	تُزَفَّتْ tuzaffat			تُزَفَّتَا tuzaffatā			تُزَفَّتْنَ tuzaffatna	يُزَفَّتْنَ yuzaffatna

References

• Fraenkel, Siegmund (1886) Die aramäischen Fremdwörter im Arabischen (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 151
• Freytag, Georg (1833) “زفت”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum‎^[1] (in Latin), volume 2, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, page 242
• Lane, Edward William (1863) “زفت”, in Arabic-English Lexicon‎^[2], London: Williams & Norgate, page 1236

Moroccan Arabic

Root
ز ف ت
1 term

Etymology 1

From Arabic زِفْت (zift).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zaft/

Noun

زفت • (zaft) m

1. tar, pitch
2. (figuratively) rubbish, trash, shit

   شهاد الزفت اللي جبتي معاك للدار ؟

   š-hād ez-zaft elli jabti mʕāk l-ed-dār ?

   What is this rubbish you brought home with you?

Etymology 2

From Arabic زَفَّتَ (zaffata).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zaf.fat/

Verb

زفت • (zaffat) II (non-past يزفت (yzaffat), verbal noun تزفات (tazfāt))

1. to pave

   Synonym: عبّد (ʕabbad)

   البلدية ما بغاتش تعاود تزفت طريقنا حيت ما كانتش فالميزانية المقررة. أما فالحقيقة غير سالات الانتخابات ما بقاوش مسوقين لينا.

   el-baladiyya ma bḡātši tʕāwad tzaffat trīqna ḥīt ma kānitši f-el-mīzāniyya. ʔamma f-el-ḥaqīqa ḡīr sālāt l-intiḵābāt ma bqāwši msawwqin līna.

   The municipality didn't want to repave our road because it wasn't included in the budget. But in truth once the elections were done, they no longer care about us.

Ottoman Turkish

زفت

Alternative forms

• زیفت (zift)

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic زِفْت (zift, “pitch, tar”).

Noun

زفت • (zift) (definite accusative زفتی (zifti), plural زفتلر (ziftler))

1. pitch, tar, a black, oily, viscous substance derived from organic materials such as wood, peat, or coal

   Synonyms: قره ساقز (kara sakız), قطران (katran), قیر (kir)

Derived terms

• زفت قاینار (zift kaynar, “boiling pitch”)
• زفت یاغی (zift yağı, “pisselaeon”)
• زفتلتمك (ziftletmek, “to make or let be pitched”)
• زفتلمك (ziftlemek, “to daub over with pitch”)
• زفتلنمك (ziftlenmek, “to be daubed over with pitch”)
• زفتلو (ziftli, “containing pitch”)
• زفتی (ziftî, “bituminous”)

 

Descendants

• Turkish: zift
• → Armenian: զիֆթ (ziftʻ), զիֆտ (zift)
• → Bulgarian: зифт (zift)
• → Georgian: ზივთი (zivti), ზიფთი (zipti)
• → Greek: ζίφτι (zífti)
• → Laz: ზიჶთი (zifti), ზიჶტი (zifťi)
• → Macedonian: зифт (zift)
• → Serbo-Croatian: зи̏фт / zȉft

Further reading

• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007) “zift”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 1, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 5482
• Devellioğlu, Ferit (1962) “zift”, in Osmanlıca-Türkçe Ansiklopedik Lûgat‎‎^[3] (in Turkish), Istanbul: Türk Dil Kurumu, page 1427
• Kélékian, Diran (1911) “زفت”, in Dictionnaire turc-français‎^[4], Constantinople: Mihran, page 645
• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1687) “Pix”, in Complementum thesauri linguarum orientalium, seu onomasticum latino-turcico-arabico-persicum, simul idem index verborum lexici turcico-arabico-persici, quod latinâ, germanicâ, aliarumque linguarum adjectâ nomenclatione nuper in lucem editum‎^[5], Vienna, column 1304
• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1680) “زفت”, in Thesaurus linguarum orientalium, Turcicae, Arabicae, Persicae, praecipuas earum opes à Turcis peculiariter usurpatas continens, nimirum Lexicon Turkico-Arabico-Persicum‎^[6], Vienna, column 2451
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “zift”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Redhouse, James W. (1890) “زفت”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎^[7], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 1010

South Levantine Arabic

Root
ز ف ت
1 term

Etymology

From Arabic زَفَّتَ (zaffata).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zaf.fat/, [ˈzaf.fat]

• Audio (al-Lidd):

  (file)

Verb

زفّت • (zaffat) II (present بزفّت (bizaffet))

1. to pave

   Synonym: عبّد (ʕabbad)

Conjugation

Conjugation of زفّت (zaffat)
		singular				plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
past	m	زفّتت (zaffatt)	زفّتت (zaffatt)	زفّت (zaffat)		زفّتنا (zaffatna)	زفّتتو (zaffattu)	زفّتو (zaffatu)
	f		زفّتتي (zaffatti)	زفّتت (zaffatat)
present	m	بزفّت (bazaffet)	بتزفّت (bitzaffet)	بزفّت (bizaffet)		منزفّت (minzaffet)	بتزفّتو (bitzafftu)	بزفّتو (bizafftu)
	f		بتزفّتي (bitzaffti)	بتزفّت (bitzaffet)
subjunctive	m	ازفّت (azaffet)	تزفّت (tzaffet)	يزفّت (yzaffet)		نزفّت (nzaffet)	تزفّتو (tzafftu)	يزفّتو (yzafftu)
	f		تزفّتي (tzaffti)	تزفّت (tzaffet)
imperative	m		زفّت (zaffet)				زفّتو (zafftu)
	f		زفّتي (zaffti)

Noun

زفت • (transliteration needed) ?

1. tar, asphalt
2. (figurative) something terrible, awful, very bad