Zelig, n.

zelig
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zelig_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 2004

# Zelignoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun Zelig mean?

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

### How is the noun Zelig pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzɛlɪɡ/
ZEL-ig

#### U.S. English

/ˈzɛlɪɡ/
ZEL-ig

### Where does the noun Zelig come from?

Earliest known use

1980s

The earliest known use of the noun Zelig is in the 1980s.

OED's earliest evidence for Zelig is from 1984, in New York Times Magazine.

From a proper name.

Etymons: proper name Zelig.

### Nearby entries

1. zein, n. 1820–
2. Zeiss, n. 1876–
3. zeitgeber, n. 1958–
4. zeitgeist, n. 1848–
5. zeitgeisty, adj. 1966–
6. zek, n. 1968–
7. zelant, n. 1624–26
8. zelatrice, n. 1874–
9. zelatrix, n. 1865–
10. Zeldovich, n. 1956–
11. Zelig, n.1984–
12. Zelig-like, adj. 1983–
13. zelkova, n. 1836–
14. zelotypia, n. 1566–
15. zelotyping, adj. a1660
16. zelotypist, n.?1632
17. zelotypy, n. 1623–1794
18. Zemblan, n. & adj. 1674–1805
19. Zemblian, n. & adj. 1674–1796
20. zemi, n. 1555–
21. zemiistic, adj. 1907–

## Etymology

### Summary

From a proper name.
Etymon: proper name Zelig.
< the name of Leonard Zelig, a character in the U.S. film Zelig (1983), written and directed by Woody Allen. The film has the form of a documentary about a man (Zelig) able to change his appearance and…
< the name of Leonard Zelig, a character in the U.S. film Zelig (1983), written and directed by Woody Allen. The film has the form of a documentary about a man (Zelig) able to change his appearance and persona to suit his surroundings, and (apparently) participate in important historical events.

Compare slightly earlier Zelig-like adj.

## Meaning & use

1. 1984–
   Allusively: a person who is able to change his or her appearance, behaviour, attitudes, etc., so as to seem comfortable in or well-suited to any situation or set of circumstances.
   1. [1984

      > John Doe... Historically, this Leonard Zelig of the law materialized chiefly when necessary to implement a fiction or when a party's true name was not known.

      Nat. Law Journal (Nexis) 5 March]
   2. 1984

      > It is not that everyone is a Zelig—a chameleon—but that everyone has a complex personality and certain parts respond to certain places.

      New York Times Magazine 15 April 78/2
   3. 1985

      > They really didn't notice they had nominated a political Zelig who didn't once mention tax reform.

      M. Royko in Chicago Tribune 12 April 3
   4. 1998

      > The kaleidoscope of images that made Diana the world's darling—glamourpuss, savior, victim, mother, a Zelig for our times.

      Nation (New York) 7 September 30/2
   5. 2006

      > He'd gig relentlessly, meandering like a Zelig through music: writing commercial jingles, producing a pair of albums.

      Oxford Amer. Summer 82/2
   allusive

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzɛlɪɡ/
ZEL-ig

### U.S. English

/ˈzɛlɪɡ/
ZEL-ig

####

##### 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

Zelig, n. was first published in December 2004.

Zelig, n. was last modified in June 2024.