zaatar, n.

zaatar
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zaatar_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 2011

# zaatarnoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zaatar mean?

There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun zaatar. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

### How common is the noun zaatar?

Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1950 | 0.0002
1960 | 0.0003
1970 | 0.0007
1980 | 0.0009
1990 | 0.0011
2000 | 0.0013
2010 | 0.0017

### How is the noun zaatar pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzɑːtɑː/
ZAH-tar

#### U.S. English

/ˈzɑˌtɑr/
ZAH-tar

### Where does the noun zaatar come from?

Earliest known use

1910s

The earliest known use of the noun zaatar is in the 1910s.

OED's earliest evidence for zaatar is from 1917, in Jewish Quarterly Review.

zaatar is a borrowing from Arabic.

Etymons: Arabic saʿtar.

### Nearby entries

1. 70-year-old, n. & adj. 1832–
2. 73, n. 1855–
3. 78, n. 1949–
4. 800 number, n. 1971–
5. 900 number, n. 1977–
6. 911, n. 1968–
7. 999, n. 1937–
8. Z, n. Old English–
9. 'Z, adj.
10. za, n. 1968–
11. zaatar, n.1917–
12. zabaglione, n. 1899–
13. zabernism, n. 1916–21
14. zabernize, v. 1914
15. zabra, n. 1523–
16. zabuton, n. 1879–
17. zac, n. 1898–
18. 'zackly | 'zactly, adv. 1886–
19. zad, n. 1669–
20. Zadokite, n. & adj. 1910–
21. zadruga, n. 1887–

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from Arabic.
Etymon: Arabic saʿtar.
< Arabic saʿtar, ṣaʿtar, zaʿtar wild thyme, also a condiment made from this herb or similar herbs (see definition), probably < Syriac ṣatrā' (Aramaic ṣatrā'; > post-biblical Hebrew ṣatrāh savory, in…
< Arabic saʿtar, ṣaʿtar, zaʿtar wild thyme, also a condiment made from this herb or similar herbs (see definition), probably < Syriac ṣatrā' (Aramaic ṣatrā'; > post-biblical Hebrew ṣatrāh savory, in modern Hebrew also satureia, thymbra). Compare Turkish zatar (probably < Arabic; the indigenous Turkish word for ‘thyme’ is kekik).

### Notes

The α forms reflect various transliterations of the medial Arabic letter ʿain. The β forms reflect the Arabic variant with initial sīn. The origin of the γ forms is uncertain.

## Meaning & use

1. 1.
   1917–
   Originally in the Middle East: any of a number of aromatic culinary herbs.
   The precise herb referred to is variously identified as thyme, oregano, marjoram, hyssop, or savory.
   1. 1917

      > The Samaritans use a bunch of the common za'atar, or Origanum Maru, in their Passover rites, and hold it is identical with the biblical hyssop.

      Jewish Quarterly Review vol. 8 49
   2. 1927

      > The channel is from twenty to twenty-five meters wide and..is covered with a coarse gravel in which grows za'tar.

      A. Musil, Arabia Deserta viii. 243
   3. 1979

      > Other fresh or dried herbs take their place with spices to enliven foods: green parsley or green coriander leaves, oregano, basil, grey verbena and za'atar, a much-used herb similar in aroma and flavour to thyme and oregano.

      T. Barer-Stein, You eat what you Are xxxvi. 417
   4. 1996

      > Take a look over here, the zatar you planted is still here!

      M. Gorkin & R. Othman, Three Mothers, Three Daughters (2000) 153
   5. 2008

      > Delia's dad grows the restaurant's zaatar in his backyard.

      Age (Melbourne) (Nexis) 30 September (Epicure section) 4
   plants
   1. thyme 1398–
      A plant of the genus Thymus, N.O. Labiatæ, comprising shrubby herbs with fragrant aromatic leaves, found chiefly in the Mediterranean region; esp. T…
   2. zaatar 1917–
      Originally in the Middle East: any of a number of aromatic culinary herbs.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
2. 2.
   1963–
   In Middle Eastern cuisine: a condiment made from any of these herbs (esp. thyme) singly or in combination, with dried sumac, toasted sesame seeds and salt.
   1. 1963

      > The breakfast meal was fairly uniform and generally conformed to one of the following patterns:..Bread, tea, olives and/or zaatar and oil.

      Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Nutrition Surv. Apr.–June 1962 (U.S. Interdepartmental Comm. Nutrition for National Def.) 56
   2. 1986

      > Pick up some zaatar, a mixture of wild thyme, sesame, and sumac..; its faint lemon flavor is wonderful on bread, poultry, lamb, pizza.

      New York Magazine 21 April 76/3
   3. 1999

      > At home we make our own instant version by mixing za'atar with a little olive oil to make a paste which is delicious spread on toast.

      G. Malouf & L. Malouf, Artichoke to Za'atar (2008) 293
   4. 2006

      > Some recipes for zaatar also include oregano, marjoram, savory, and salt. It is a staple of modern Middle Eastern kitchens.

      A. F. Chiffolo & R. W. Hesse, Cooking with Bible 316
   1. powder 1381–
      A preparation used in food or cooking as a seasoning, flavouring, colouring, preservative, etc.; formerly spec. †powdered salt, spice, or other…
   2. condiment c1420–
      Anything of pronounced flavour used to season or give relish to food, or to stimulate the appetite.
   3. season?a1505–1664
      Seasoning, relish, flavour.
   4. seasoning 1580–
      concrete. Something added to a dish which gives it a distinctive or appetizing flavour.
   5. seasoner 1620–
      Something that serves to season. rare.
   6. haut-goût 1645–1752
      A high or piquant flavour; a strong relish; something that gives a relish, seasoning. Obsolete.
   7. farciment 1657–81
      Stuffing; seasoning.
   8. conditement a1670
      = condiment, n., seasoning, spice. Also figurative.
   9. furnitures 1693–1727
      plural. Adjuncts or condiments of a salad. Cf. French fourniture. Obsolete.
   10. seasonage a1716
       The action of seasoning; that which serves to season.
   11. flavour 1785–
       = flavouring, n. 2.
   12. flavouring 1845–
       concrete. Something used for giving flavour to food or drink.
   13. Japanese pepper 1861–
       Xanthoxylon piperitum of Japan and China.
   14. flavourer 1884–
       Something used to impart flavour; a flavouring.
   15. ve-tsin 1927–
       Monosodium glutamate, as used in Chinese cookery.
   16. furikake 1955–
       In Japanese cookery: a seasoning mixture typically consisting of dried fish flakes, chopped seaweed, sesame seeds, and salt, and usually sprinkled…
   17. zaatar 1963–
       In Middle Eastern cuisine: a condiment made from any of these herbs (esp. thyme) singly or in combination, with dried sumac, toasted sesame seeds and…
   18. chicken salt 1987–
       Australian. A yellow-orange mixture containing salt and various herbs, spices, and other flavourings, typically used as a seasoning for hot fried… A proprietary name in the United Kingdom.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzɑːtɑː/
ZAH-tar

### U.S. English

/ˈzɑˌtɑr/
ZAH-tar

####

##### 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

##### α.

1. 1900s–
   zaatar, za'atar, zahatar, zahtar, zatar

##### β.

1. 1900s–
   satar

##### γ.

1. 1900s–
   zaktar

## Frequency

zaatar typically occurs fewer than 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.

zaatar is in frequency band 2, which contains words occurring between 0.001 and 0.01 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 zaatar, n., 1950–2010

* 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
--- | ---
1950 | 0.0002
1960 | 0.0003
1970 | 0.0007
1980 | 0.0009
1990 | 0.0011
2000 | 0.0013
2010 | 0.0017

### Frequency of zaatar, n., 2017–2024

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.

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 corpus.

Period | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
2017 | 0.0044
2018 | 0.004
2019 | 0.004
2020 | 0.005
2021 | 0.0061
2022 | 0.0052
2023 | 0.0057
2024 | 0.0064

zaatar, n. was first published in September 2011.

zaatar, n. was last modified in July 2023.