zelkova, n.

zelkova
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zelkova_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# zelkovanoun

## Earlier version

- zelkova in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zelkova mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zelkova. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

### How common is the noun zelkova?

About 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1910 | 0.001
1920 | 0.0038
1930 | 0.0045
1940 | 0.0052
1950 | 0.0075
1960 | 0.0094
1970 | 0.01
1980 | 0.012
1990 | 0.011
2000 | 0.012
2010 | 0.013

### How is the noun zelkova pronounced?

#### British English

/zɛlˈkəʊvə/
zel-KOH-vuh

#### U.S. English

/zɛlˈkoʊvə/
zel-KOH-vuh
/ˈzɛlkəvə/
ZEL-kuh-vuh

### Where does the noun zelkova come from?

Earliest known use

1830s

The earliest known use of the noun zelkova is in the 1830s.

OED's earliest evidence for zelkova is from 1836, in Gardeners' Magazine.

zelkova is a borrowing from French.

Etymons: French zelkoua, zelkova.

### Nearby entries

1. zeitgeber, n. 1958–
2. zeitgeist, n. 1848–
3. zeitgeisty, adj. 1966–
4. zek, n. 1968–
5. zelant, n. 1624–26
6. zelatrice, n. 1874–
7. zelatrix, n. 1865–
8. Zeldovich, n. 1956–
9. Zelig, n. 1984–
10. Zelig-like, adj. 1983–
11. zelkova, n.1836–
12. zelotypia, n. 1566–
13. zelotyping, adj. a1660
14. zelotypist, n.?1632
15. zelotypy, n. 1623–1794
16. Zemblan, n. & adj. 1674–1805
17. Zemblian, n. & adj. 1674–1796
18. zemi, n. 1555–
19. zemiistic, adj. 1907–
20. zemirah, n. 1767–
21. zemni, n. 1775–

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from French.
Etymons: French zelkoua, zelkova.
< French †zelkoua, zelkova (F. A. Michaux Mém. sur le Zelkoua, Planera crenata (1831)) < Georgian dzelkva name of the tree < dzel beam, tree + kva stone…
< French †zelkoua, zelkova (F. A. Michaux Mém. sur le Zelkoua, Planera crenata (1831)) < Georgian dzelkva name of the tree < dzel beam, tree + kva stone.

### Notes

Compare Russian dzel´kva (1873 or earlier; < Georgian).

## Meaning & use

1. 1836–
   More fully zelkova tree. Any of several deciduous trees constituting the genus Zelkova (family Ulmaceae), native to China, Japan, and the Caucasus and frequently cultivated as ornamental and timber trees, having toothed leaves and small green flowers. Cf. keyaki n.
   1. 1836

      > The zelkoua is a most valuable tree, and there are large specimens of it at Syon and Kew.

      Gardeners' Magazine December 698
   2. 1877

      > The Zelkova is a native of the shore of the Caspian Sea.

      Gardener's Monthly & Horticulturist February 35/1
   3. 1893

      > Zelkova Tree..[is] quite hardy, and of free and quick growth.

      A. D. Webster, Hardy Ornamental Flowering Trees & Shrubs 134
   4. 1914

      > The columns, made of zelkova wood, are painted white and carved with patterns of clouds.

      Official Guide Eastern Asia (Imperial Japanese Government Railways) vol. III. 371
   5. 1957

      > The zelkova..deserves more extensive planting.

      M. Hadfield, British Trees 226
   6. 1978

      > Zelkovas are a rather special group of trees. They belong to the Elm family and have delicate, toothed leaves.

      Vole December 27/1
   7. 2005

      > In early summer..the air swells with heat and the zelkova trees burst into green.

      Times 17 May 17/4
   plants
   1. mahua 1610–
      Any of several Indo-Malayan trees of the genus Madhuca (family Sapotaceae), whose seeds yield an oily, butter-like substance; esp. M. longifolia var.…
   2. jambee 1704–1885
      A species of Calamus or Dæmonorops from the district of Jambi; a cane or walking-stick made of this, fashionable in the time of Queen Anne.
   3. hinoki 1727–
      A large conifer, Chamæcyparis obtusa, native to Japan, or the timber obtained from it.
   4. sugi 1727–
      = cryptomeria, n.
   5. meranti 1783–
      The hardwood timber of any of various trees of the genus Shorea (family Dipterocarpaceae), native to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei; any of these…
   6. merbau 1783–
      The hardwood timber obtained from either of two trees of the genus Intsia (family Caesalpiniaceae (Leguminosae)), I. palembanica and (in full merbau…
   7. sal 1789–
      A valuable timber tree of India, Shorea robusta yielding the resin dammar. Also attributive.
   8. sundri 1799–
      Any of several tropical Asian trees of the genus Heritiera (family Malvaceae) which grow abundantly in India and yield a hard and durable timber…
   9. calamander 1804–
      A beautiful and extremely hard cabinet wood of Sri Lanka and India, the product of Diospyros quæsita (family Ebenaceæ), specifically akin to ebony.
   10. sissoo 1810–
       A deciduous tree, Dalbergia sissoo (family Fabaceae (Faboideae)), of southern Asia and the Middle East, or (in later use) a related tree, D. latifolia…
   11. sissoo tree 1810–
       = sissoo, n. 2.
   12. toon 1810–
       An East Indian tree, Cedrela Toona, which yields a timber resembling mahogany but softer and lighter, used for furniture and cabinet-work: the…
   13. looking-glass tree 1822–
       A large tree, Heritiera littoralis (family Malvaceae), found in coastal regions of South and Southeast Asia and having leaves which are silvery…
   14. East India mahogany 1829–
       (a) The Indian redwood, Soymida febrifuga (family Meliaceae); (also) the hard red wood of this tree; (b) either of two South Asian trees of the genus…
   15. pyinkado 1832–
       More fully pyinkado tree. The timber tree Xylia xylocarpa (family Fabaceae (Leguminosae)), of south-eastern and southern Asia.
   16. dhamnoo 1834–
       An Indian tree, Grewia tiliæfolia, of the family Tiliaceæ, or the timber therefrom; = dhaman, n. 2b.
   17. haldu 1836–
       A large deciduous tree with heart-shaped leaves, native to South and Southeast Asia, Adina cordifolia (or Haldina cordifolia) (family Rubiaceae)…
   18. jelutong 1836–
       A Malaysian tree of the genus Dyera, esp. D. costulata, which produces a latex when tapped; the latex or the light-coloured wood from a tree of this…
   19. zelkova 1836–
       More fully zelkova tree. Any of several deciduous trees constituting the genus Zelkova (family Ulmaceae), native to China, Japan, and the Caucasus…
   20. cryptomeria 1838–
       The Japanese cedar or sugi, a tall evergreen coniferous tree, Cryptomeria japonica (family Cupressaceae), originating in Japan but now extensively…
   21. kempas 1839–
       A hardwood timber tree, Koompassia malaccensis, native to Malaya, Sumatra, and Borneo; also, the wood of this tree.
   22. Indian mahogany 1843–
       The toon or red cedar, Toona ciliata (family Meliaceae); the wood of this.
   23. shisham 1849–
       = sissoo, n.
   24. Japan cedar 1852–
       = cryptomeria, n.
   25. jarul 1854–
       A deciduous tree, Lagerstrœmia speciosa, of the family Lythraceæ, which is native to tropical Asia and bears large panicles of purple flowers; also…
   26. mast tree 1862–
       Any of various tall, erect trees, esp. those formerly used to make ships' masts; spec. †(a) the silver fir, Abies alba (obsolete); (b) a tree of…
   27. keyaki 1863–
       A deciduous tree, Zelkova serrata (family Ulmaceae), native to Japan and other parts of eastern Asia, commonly planted as a shade tree and formerly…
   28. petwood 1866
       A tree of the Indo-Malaysian genus Berrya (family Tiliaceae), probably B. mollis or B. cordifolia (the source of Trincomalee wood).
   29. alstonia 1867–
       Any plant of the genus Alstonia (family Apocynaceae), comprising trees and shrubs with milky sap found in most tropical areas, esp. Asia and…
   30. East Indian cedar 1869–
       Any of several southern Asian timber trees; esp. †(a) the South Asian tree, Toona ciliata (formerly Cedrela toona) of the family Meliaceae (obsolete…
   31. Malacca cane 1874–
       Hence, with various defining words, bamboo cane, dragon cane, rattan cane, reed cane, sugar cane; see bamboo, n., etc. Malacca cane n. a species (Ca…
   32. Japanese cedar 1880–
       = cryptomeria, n.
   33. mowra 1883–
       = mahua, n. 1. Also mowra tree.
   34. seraya 1893–
       A forest tree of the genus Shorea or Parashorea, belonging to the family Dipterocarpaceæ and native to Southeast Asia; also, the hardwood timber…
   35. o-matsu 1916–
       The Japanese black pine, Pinus thunbergii, a valuable ornamental and timber tree. Also called kuro-matsu.
   36. dhaman 1923–
       The dhamnoo, Grewia tiliæfolia, and other trees of the same genus.
   37. sepetir 1927–
       A forest tree of the genus Sindora or Pseudosindora, belonging to the family Leguminosæ and native to Southeast Asia; also, the hardwood timber…
   38. kapur 1935–
       A large dipterocarp timber tree of the genus Dryobalanops, esp. D. aromatica, native to Malaya, Sumatra, and Borneo; also, the wood of a tree of this…
   39. mengkulang 1940–
       Any of various large Malayan timber trees of the genus Heritiera (family Sterculiaceae), esp. H. simplicifolia; the wood of any of these trees…
   40. ramin 1953–
       Any of several trees of the tropical genus Gonystylus (family Thymelaeaceae), esp. G. bancanus, of peat swamp forests of Southeast Asia, esp…
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/zɛlˈkəʊvə/
zel-KOH-vuh

### U.S. English

/zɛlˈkoʊvə/
zel-KOH-vuh
/ˈzɛlkəvə/
ZEL-kuh-vuh

###
Variant: zelkoua

### British English

/zɛlˈkwɑː/
zel-KWAH

### U.S. English

/ˌzɛlˈkwɑ/
zel-KWAH

####

##### 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 /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### 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 /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### 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

## Forms

### Variant forms

#### 1.

1. 1800s–1900s
   zelkoua ( British English /zɛlˈkwɑː/ (zel-KWAH) , U.S. English /ˌzɛlˈkwɑ/ (zel-KWAH) )
2. 1800s–
   zelkova

#### 2. Also with capital initial.

## Frequency

zelkova typically occurs about 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.

zelkova is in frequency band 3, which contains words occurring between 0.01 and 0.1 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zelkova, n., 1910–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1910 | 0.001
1920 | 0.0038
1930 | 0.0045
1940 | 0.0052
1950 | 0.0075
1960 | 0.0094
1970 | 0.01
1980 | 0.012
1990 | 0.011
2000 | 0.012
2010 | 0.013

zelkova, n. was revised in June 2018.

zelkova, n. was last modified in July 2023.