Zimbabwenoun
Factsheet
What does the noun Zimbabwe mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun Zimbabwe. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
How is the noun Zimbabwe pronounced?
British English
U.S. English
Where does the noun Zimbabwe come from?
Earliest known use
1890s
The earliest known use of the noun Zimbabwe is in the 1890s.
OED's earliest evidence for Zimbabwe is from 1891, in Mr. Bent's Explor. in Mashonaland.
From a proper name.
Etymons: proper name Zimbabwe.
Nearby entries
- zilla, n.1772–
- -zilla, comb. form
- zilladar, n.1763–
- Zil lane, n.1985–
- zilla parishad, n.1957–
- zillion, n. & adj.1920–
- zillionaire, n.1926–
- zillionth, n. & adj.1940–
- zimb, n.1790–
- Zimba, n.1625–
- Zimbabwe, n.1891–
- Zimbabwean, adj. & n.1961–
- zimbel, n.1888–
- zimme, n.1848–63
- Zimmer, n.1951–
- zina, n.1817–
- zinc, n.1651–
- zinc, v.1843–
- zinc-air, adj.1970–
- Zincala, n.1844–91
- Zincalo, n.1841–
Etymology
Summary
Notes
Meaning & use
- 1891–Any of the numerous ruined stone-walled settlements scattered across Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries and dating from medieval times.
- 1891
For centuries this circular building formed ‘the Zimbabwe’ or Royal kraal of those Kaffir Emperors, the Monomatapa.., which was once very powerful, but which was afterwards split..into many parts, each governed by separate chiefs with their own Zimbabwe or Royal kraal, so that the name is now oft recurring in Mashonaland.
Mr. Bent's Explor. in Mashonaland 15 December in Times 14 January (1892) 8/1 - 1963
Other ‘Zimbabwes’—over 200 of them..—lie scattered all over Southern Rhodesia.
R. Summers in E. Bacon, Vanished Civilisations iii. 36/2 - 2004
British archaeologists and colonizers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries claimed that the monumental medieval stone zimbabwes were ‘Phoenician’.
M. Given, Archaeol. of Colonized ix. 164
the world time relative time the past history or knowledge about the past [nouns] archaeology built structures- hut circle1830–(In upland regions of Britain and Ireland) a ring of stones or earth, or another circular feature in the terrain, interpreted as the site of a…
- pond-barrow1845–A prehistoric burial place marked by a circular depression in the ground with a raised perimeter, rather than a mound.
- Zimbabwe1891–Any of the numerous ruined stone-walled settlements scattered across Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries and dating from medieval times.
- ploshchadka1913–A raised area or platform; spec. one formed of burnt clay from the debris of collapsed buildings, found in Neolithic sites in Ukraine.
- woodhenge1927–(The remains of) a prehistoric monument consisting of a circular or elliptical timber structure (usually interpreted as a circle of large…
- henge1932–Archaeology. In Britain and Ireland: a Neolithic ceremonial enclosure consisting of a circular ditch enclosed by a bank and typically having one…
Pronunciation
British English
U.S. English
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.
Consonants
b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values
- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige
Vowels
- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot