zeta, n.¹

zeta
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zeta_n1%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# zetanoun1

## Earlier version

- zeta² in OED Second Edition (1989)

## In other dictionaries

- zēta, n. in Middle English Dictionary

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zeta mean?

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

### How common is the noun zeta?

About 0.3occurrences per million words in modern written English

1760 | 0.014
1770 | 0.012
1780 | 0.011
1790 | 0.012
1800 | 0.0095
1810 | 0.01
1820 | 0.011
1830 | 0.0099
1840 | 0.0076
1850 | 0.0049
1860 | 0.0068
1870 | 0.0066
1880 | 0.0069
1890 | 0.0098
1900 | 0.013
1910 | 0.023
1920 | 0.05
1930 | 0.081
1940 | 0.11
1950 | 0.14
1960 | 0.17
1970 | 0.2
1980 | 0.23
1990 | 0.26
2000 | 0.28
2010 | 0.29

### How is the noun zeta pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈziːtə/
ZEE-tuh

#### U.S. English

/ˈzeɪdə/
ZAY-duh

### Where does the noun zeta come from?

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the noun zeta is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

OED's earliest evidence for zeta is from before 1425, in Mandeville's Travels.

zeta is of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Partly a borrowing from Greek.

Etymons: Latin zeta; Greek ζῆτα.

### Nearby entries

1. zerumbet, n. 1640–
2. zest, n.¹ 1674–
3. zest, n.² 1706
4. zest, v. 1702–
5. zest, int. 1705–22
6. zester, n. 1963–
7. zestful, adj. 1797–
8. zestfully, adv. 1843–
9. zestiness, n. 1912–
10. zesty, adj. 1826–
11. zeta, n.¹?a1425–
12. zeta, n.² 1706–1860
13. zetacism, n. 1860–
14. zeta function, n. 1879–
15. zeta-ic, adj. 1840–1927
16. zeta potential, n. 1927–
17. zetetic, adj. & n. 1645–
18. zetetical, adj. & n. 1646–
19. zetetically, adv. 1665–
20. Zetetical Society, n. 1881–
21. zetetics, n. 1843–

## Etymology

### Summary

Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Partly a borrowing from Greek.
Etymons: Latin zeta; Greek ζῆτα.
< (i) post-classical Latin zeta (4th cent.) and its etymon (ii) ancient Greek ζῆτα, the name of the letter Ζ, ζ (see Z n.).

## Meaning & use

1. ?a1425–
   (The name of) the sixth letter (ζ, Ζ) of the Greek alphabet.
   In transliterating ancient Greek, usually rendered as z.
   1. ?a1425

      > If ȝe wil wit of þe abce of Grew and what kyn letters þai hafe, here ȝe may see þam and þer names also: alpha α, beta β, gamma γ, delta δ, e breuis ε, epissima ς, zeta ζ, [etc.].

      Mandeville's Travels (Egerton MS.) (1889) 11 (Middle English Dictionary)
   2. 1589

      > The letter zeta, of the Hebrewes & Greeke and of all other toungs is in truth but a double ss. hardly vttered.

      G. Puttenham, Arte of English Poesie (new edition) ii. xi. sig. N*iv
   3. 1640

      > The one [Consonant] we derive from the Greeke Letter Zeta, whose force it retaines: the other few Nations besides our owne are acquainted with, especially to make the use we doe of it.

      S. Daines, Orthoepia Anglicana 18
   4. 1789

      > First, it is written, like other ancient inscriptions, in capitals... Secondly, the ancient form of the Pi is observed, and the prostrate Eta is used for the Zeta.

      Critical Review vol. 67 494
   5. 1841

      > The Greek zeta is made in this form on some early monuments.

      D. Sharpe in C. Fellows, Account Discov. Lycia 451
   6. 1953

      > He used a character like the Greek zeta for both s and z, which he identified with s.

      R. F. Jones, Triumph of English Language v. 156
   7. 2014

      > Zetabyte..is from Greek zeta, the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet.

      Courier Mail (Australia) (Nexis) 11 October (Lifestyle section) 18
   1. alpha c1175–
      (The name of) the first letter (Α, α) of the Greek alphabet.
   2. mu c1175–
      (The name of) the twelfth letter (μ, Μ) of the Greek alphabet.
   3. beta a1400–
      The second letter of the Greek alphabet, Β, β.
   4. tau a1400–
      (The name of) the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet (Τ, τ).
   5. chi c1400–
      The name of χ, the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet; spec. used as the name of a moth having a marking of the form of this letter (in full, chi moth)…
   6. delta c1400–
      The name of the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, having the form of a triangle (Δ), and the power of D.
   7. epsilon c1400–
      The fifth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ε, ε).
   8. eta c1400–
      The name of the seventh letter (Η, η) of the Greek alphabet, corresponding to English e.
   9. kappa c1400–
      The tenth letter of the Greek alphabet, Κ, κ.
   10. gamma?a1425–
       (The name of) the third letter (Γ, γ) of the Greek alphabet.
   11. lambda?a1425–
       (The name of) the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet (Λ, λ).
   12. nu?a1425–
       (The name of) the thirteenth letter (Ν, ν) of the Greek alphabet.
   13. phi?a1425–
       (The name of) the twenty-first letter (Φ, ϕ) of the Greek alphabet.
   14. pi?a1425–
       (The name of) the sixteenth letter (Π, π,) of the Greek alphabet.
   15. psi?a1425–
       (The name of) the twenty-third letter (Ψ, ψ) of the Greek alphabet.
   16. rho?a1425–
       (The name of) the seventeenth letter (Ρ, ρ) of the Greek alphabet.
   17. xi?a1425–
       (The name of) the fourteenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ξ, ξ).
   18. zeta?a1425–
       (The name of) the sixth letter (ζ, Ζ) of the Greek alphabet.
   19. upsilon 1559–
       (The name of) the 20th letter of the Greek alphabet, Υ, υ (originally V, Y). Cf. U, n.¹, V, n., and Y, n.
   20. san 1584–
       The name (first recorded by writers of the sixth century b.c.) for a sibilant (?) found in early Doric scripts (later displaced by sigma), which…
   21. omega 1599–
       (The name of) the last letter (Ω, ω) of the Greek alphabet.
   22. theta 1603–
       The eighth letter of the Greek alphabet, Θ, θ (see th, n.¹).
   23. iota 1607–
       The name of the Greek letter Ι, ι, corresponding to the Roman I, i; the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet.
   24. sigma 1607–
       The name of the Greek letter Σ, σ, ς, the equivalent of the English S, s, in its uncial form having the shape of C.
   25. omicron?1632–
       (The name of) the fifteenth letter (Ο, ο) of the Greek alphabet, corresponding to the short o. Also figurative.
   26. Aeolic digamma 1662–
       The sixth letter of the early Greek alphabet preserved in the Aeolic dialect (see digamma, n.).
   27. digamma 1699–
       The sixth letter of the original Greek alphabet, corresponding to the Semitic waw or vau, which was afterwards disused, the sound expressed by it…
   28. zeta 1850
       A kind of room or chamber.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈziːtə/
ZEE-tuh

### U.S. English

/ˈzeɪdə/
ZAY-duh

####

##### 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

## Frequency

zeta typically occurs about 0.3 times per million words in modern written English.

zeta is in frequency band 4, which contains words occurring between 0.1 and 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 zeta, n.¹, 1760–2010

* 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
--- | ---
1760 | 0.014
1770 | 0.012
1780 | 0.011
1790 | 0.012
1800 | 0.0095
1810 | 0.01
1820 | 0.011
1830 | 0.0099
1840 | 0.0076
1850 | 0.0049
1860 | 0.0068
1870 | 0.0066
1880 | 0.0069
1890 | 0.0098
1900 | 0.013
1910 | 0.023
1920 | 0.05
1930 | 0.081
1940 | 0.11
1950 | 0.14
1960 | 0.17
1970 | 0.2
1980 | 0.23
1990 | 0.26
2000 | 0.28
2010 | 0.29

### Frequency of zeta, n.¹, 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 | 0.02
2018 | 0.036
2019 | 0.054
2020 | 0.084
2021 | 0.11
2022 | 0.16
2023 | 0.18
2024 | 0.19

## Compounds & derived words

Sort by

1. zeta-ic, adj. 1840–1927
   In or with reference to the work of English…

1. zeta function, n. 1879–
   a. Any member of several families of functions…

1. zeta potential, n. 1927–
   Electrokinetic potential, esp. (in a colloid) the…

1. C.1.
   1. zeta function, n. 1879–
      a. Any member of several families of functions…
2. C.2.
   1. zeta potential, n. 1927–
      Electrokinetic potential, esp. (in a colloid) the…

zeta, n.¹ was revised in June 2018.

zeta, n.¹ was last modified in December 2024.