Zend, n. & adj.

zend
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zend_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# Zendnoun & adjective

## Earlier version

- Zend in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the word Zend mean?

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

### How common is the word Zend?

About 0.1occurrences per million words in modern written English

1750 | 0.19
1760 | 0.19
1770 | 0.25
1780 | 0.34
1790 | 0.45
1800 | 0.5
1810 | 0.61
1820 | 0.71
1830 | 0.75
1840 | 0.93
1850 | 1.0
1860 | 1.1
1870 | 1.1
1880 | 1.0
1890 | 0.77
1900 | 0.59
1910 | 0.4
1920 | 0.26
1930 | 0.19
1940 | 0.16
1950 | 0.13
1960 | 0.11
1970 | 0.1
1980 | 0.11
1990 | 0.11
2000 | 0.11
2010 | 0.12

### How is the word Zend pronounced?

#### British English

/zɛnd/
zend

#### U.S. English

/zɛnd/
zend

### Where does the word Zend come from?

Earliest known use

early 1700s

The earliest known use of the word Zend is in the early 1700s.

OED's earliest evidence for Zend is from 1700, in the writing of Thomas Hyde, oriental scholar.

Zend is of multiple origins. Partly formed within English, by clipping or shortening. Partly a borrowing from Persian.

Etymons: Zend-Avesta n., Persian zand.

### Nearby entries

1. zemirah, n. 1767–
2. zemni, n. 1775–
3. Zemsky Sobor, n. 1877–
4. zemstvo, n. 1865–
5. zemstvoist, n. 1904–
6. Zen, n. & adj. 1727–
7. Zen, v. 1968–
8. zenana, n. & adj. 1761–
9. zenana cloth, n. 1885–
10. Zen Buddhist, adj. & n. 1917–
11. Zend, n. & adj.1700–
12. zendaletto, n. 1789–
13. Zend-Avesta, n. 1630–
14. Zend-Avestaic, adj. 1816
15. Zend-Avestan, adj. & n. 1871–
16. Zend-Avestic, adj. 1864–
17. Zendic, n. & adj. 1771–
18. Zendician, n. a1833–66
19. Zendicism, n. 1697–
20. Zendish, adj. & n. 1802–1921
21. Zendist, n. 1877–1907

## Etymology

### Summary

Of multiple origins. Partly formed within English, by clipping or shortening. Partly a borrowing from Persian.
Etymons: Zend-Avesta n., Persian zand.
Partly shortened < Zend-Avesta n. (probably with reinterpretation of the first element as attributive),

and partly (in sense A.1b) directly < Persian zand commentary on the Avesta (see Zend-Avesta n.…
Partly shortened < Zend-Avesta n. (probably with reinterpretation of the first element as attributive),

and partly (in sense A.1b) directly < Persian zand commentary on the Avesta (see Zend-Avesta n.).

### Notes

Compare post-classical Latin Zend (uninflected) denoting the book (1700 in the work cited in quot. 1700 at sense A.1a; 1701 in liber Zend).
Compare also French zend (noun) denoting the writings (1717 in le livre du Zend), denoting the language (1771 or earlier), (adjective) designating the language (1763).

## Meaning & use

1. noun
   1. 1. 1.a.
         1700–
         Frequently with the. The sacred writings of Zoroastrianism; the Avesta (Avesta n.); formerly also in plural. Cf. Zend-Avesta n. Now rare.
         Avesta is now the usual term.
         Recorded earliest in attributive use, in the sense ‘relating to or used in the Zend-Avesta’, with reference to the Avestan language (cf. sense A.2).
         1. 1700

            > Literæ..quæ..apud incolas vulgò audiunt Literæ Zundicæ, seu Character Zundicus, vel si Anglicè loquimur, the Zund Character.

            T. Hyde, Historia Religionis Veterum Persarum xxvi. 338
         2. 1716

            > This book is called Zendavesta, and by contraction Zend, the vulgar pronounce it Zundavestow, and Zund.

            H. Prideaux, Old & New Testament Connected vol. I. iv. 176
         3. 1789

            > The Zends are much more modern than the Shastah.

            D. Webb, translation of C. de Pauw, Select. Les Recherches Philosophiques 105
         4. 1790

            > Their sacred book, the Zend, which is said to have been written by their celebrated prophet Zerdusht.

            W. Francklin, Observations Tour Bengal to Persia (ed. 2) 29
         5. 1857

            > It was a very ancient primary doctrine of the Magi..and may be found in the old Zends.

            C. Kingsley, Letter 9 May in Letters & Mem. (1885) xii. 194
         6. 1892

            > He then returned from Ahuramazda with the Zend in one hand and the celestial fire in the other.

            J. M. Roberts, Antiq. Unveiled (1894) 583
         7. 1998

            > The Parsees..called their canonical religious books the Zend, derived from the teachings of their founder Zarathustra, or Zoroaster.

            P. A. Redpath, Masquerade of Dream Walkers vii. 195
         religion
         1. Zend-Avesta 1630–
            The sacred writings of Zoroastrianism; the ancient text of the Avesta (Avesta, n.), written in the Avestan language, together with the…
         2. Zend 1700–
            Frequently with the. The sacred writings of Zoroastrianism; the Avesta (Avesta, n.); formerly also in plural. Cf. Zend-Avesta, n. Now rare.
         3. Avesta 1774–
            The sacred scripture of Zoroastrianism; spec. the ancient texts enshrining the law, liturgy, and belief system of Zoroastrianism, written in the…
         View in Historical Thesaurus
      2. 1.b.
         1856–
         Frequently in form zand. An exegesis, commentary, or translation of a passage from the Avesta (Avesta n.) forming part of the canon of Zoroastrianism, written in Book Pahlavi, and appearing alongside the Avestan text in many manuscripts; (also) such interpretations considered collectively.
         1. 1856

            > Not the whole Avesta is thus accompanied by its Zend.

            Journal of American Oriental Society vol. 5 358
         2. 1867

            > The religious books, that is, the whole Avesta and Zand.

            Journal Royal Asiatic Society vol. 3 254
         3. 1928

            > Just as Zend is the ‘explanation’ of an Avestic text in Pahlawí, so is Pázend (= paiti-zainti) a ‘re-explanation’ of a Pahlawí text.

            E. G. Browne, Literary History of Persia vol. 1 ii. 81
         4. 1984

            > Secondary to the Avesta were the translations from the sacred language with commentary. These were known as the Zand. The only surviving Zand is in Pahlavi.

            J. R. Hinnells, Penguin Dictionary Religion 57/2
         5. 2015

            > Kartīr..did not imply that Mani and his followers produced their own Zand, in the sense of a Middle Persian translation and interpretation of the Avesta.

            P. Dilley in I. Gardner et al., Mani at Court of Persian Kings v. 131
   2. 2.
      1771–
      The ancient Iranian language in which the Avesta (Avesta n.) is written; = Avestan n.
      Avestan is now the more usual term.
      1. 1771

         > It [sc. a character] not a little resembles that..deduced from the Zend and Pazend.

         Philosophical Transactions 1770 (Royal Society) vol. 60 354
      2. 1789

         > M. Anquetil..has exhibited in his work, entitled Zendávestà, two vocabularies in Zend and Pahlavì.

         W. Jones, Discourse Persians in Works (1799) vol. I. 83
      3. 1837

         > Illustrations of the languages called Zand and Pahlaví.

         Journal of Royal Asiatic Society vol. 4 345 (heading)
      4. 1864

         > Professor Rask..proved that Zend, though allied to Sanskrit, was a distinct language.

         A. H. Bleek, Avesta vol. III. Introduction p.xvi.
      5. 1901

         > He left St. Petersburg..to study Zend at Louvain.

         Review of Reviews July 22/1
      6. 1976

         > Numerous discoveries made in Zend, Sanskrit, Semitic, of Indo-European.

         Dædalus Winter 154
      7. 2009

         > Devoting themselves to the study of texts written in ancient languages—Old Norse, Zend, Old Slavic, Sanskrit , and especially ancient Greek.

         Representations vol. 106 36
      1. Zend 1771–
         The ancient Iranian language in which the Avesta (Avesta, n.) is written; = Avestan, n.
      2. Zendic 1771–1928
         The Avestan language; = Avestan, n. Cf. Zend, n. A.2 Obsolete.
      3. Avesta 1774–
         The sacred scripture of Zoroastrianism; spec. the ancient texts enshrining the law, liturgy, and belief system of Zoroastrianism, written in the…
      4. Zendish 1802–1921
         a. adj.Of or relating to the Avestan language; = Avestan, adj. b. n.the ancient Iranian language in which the Avesta is written; = Avestan, n.
      5. Avestan 1856–
         The language in which the Avesta (Avesta, n.) is written; an ancient Iranian language closely related to Vedic Sanskrit.
      6. Avestic 1860–
         The ancient Iranian language in which the Avesta is written; = Avestan, n.
      7. Gathic 1902–
         a. adj. Of or pertaining to the gathas or the language in which they are written; b. n. the language itself, being the more archaic form of the…
      8. Zend-Avestan 1920–
         a. adj. Of or relating to the Zend-Avesta, or the ancient Iranian language in which the Avesta is written; b. n. the language in which the Avesta…
      View in Historical Thesaurus
   3. 3.
      1819–
      An adherent of Zoroastrianism; a Zoroastrian. Chiefly in plural. Now rare.
      1. 1819

         > Their language..has great affinity to that of the Zends.

         Weekly Entertainer 1 February 90
      2. 1888

         > The old burial places of the Chevsurs are the old ‘dakhme’ of the ‘Zends’ and their religious rites and moral precepts a direct reproduction of those contained in the Avesta.

         Archaeol. Review vol. 1 331
      3. 1902

         > His [sc. Ahura's] physiognomy is not so distinctly limned in the Sanskrit literature as it is in the writings of the Zends.

         Open Court March 167
      4. 1987

         > The sacred book of the Zends was searched and perished. And the language of the Zends..was handicapped by alien influences.

         V. A. Rizvi, Eminent Muslim Scientists, Quaid & Poets 97
      religion
      1. Persian 1613–1845
         An adherent of Zoroastrianism. Cf. Parsee, n. A.1. Obsolete.
      2. Parsee 1625–
         An adherent of Zoroastrianism; spec. a descendant of the Zoroastrian Persians who fled to India after the Islamic conquest of Persia to escape…
      3. fire-worshipper 1638–
         A Zoroastrian, a Parsee.
      4. Guebre 1687–
         An adherent of the ancient Persian religion; a Zoroastrian, fire-worshipper, Parsee.
      5. Zoroastrian 1734–
         A follower or adherent of Zoroastrianism.
      6. mobed 1815–
         A Zoroastrian priest; esp. one who is a Parsee. Also used as a title.
      7. Zend 1819–
         An adherent of Zoroastrianism; a Zoroastrian. Chiefly in plural. Now rare.
      8. Zarathustrian 1871–
         A follower or adherent of Zoroastrianism; = Zoroastrian, n.
      9. Mazdaean 1881–
         A Zoroastrian.
      10. Mazdaist 1920–
          A Zoroastrian.
      View in Historical Thesaurus
2. adjective
   1. 1762–
      Of or relating to the Avestan language or to the Zend-Avesta; of or relating to Zoroastrianism; Zoroastrian. Also: designating the Avestan language, the Zend-Avesta, or the Zoroastrian religion.
      1. 1762

         > Nerengs..are written in modern Persic, with Zend characters.

         Gentleman's Magazine September 426/1
      2. 1763

         > Indian and Persic versions of Zend originals..which serve as commentaries upon the Zend text.

         Annual Register 1762 Antiquities 110/2
      3. 1838

         > The deeves of the Zend religion were the source of the Hebrew doctrine.

         Foreign Quarterly Review October 108
      4. 1854

         > We may amicably close all controversy about ‘Media’ or ‘Bactria’, as the home of the Zend speech..and as the cradle of the Zend people.

         Journal Ethnol. Society vol. 3 224
      5. 1878

         > He was the first English scholar to master the original Zand texts.

         G. Smith, Life of John Wilson vii. 213
      6. 1901

         > The Zend high-priest.

         J. F. Hewitt, Hist. & Chronol. of Myth-Making Age iii. 124
      7. 1968

         > The Avesta is the book in the Zend language of Zoroaster.

         M. Elsnau, Gods of Creation i. 6
      8. 2007

         > He inspected the Zend manuscript in the Bodleian.

         Journal of History of Ideas vol. 68 261
      1. Zend 1762–
         Of or relating to the Avestan language or to the Zend-Avesta; of or relating to Zoroastrianism; Zoroastrian. Also: designating the Avestan language…
      2. Zend-Avestaic 1816
         Of or relating to the Zend-Avesta, or the ancient Iranian language in which the Avesta is written.
      3. Avestan 1856–
         Of or relating to the Avesta (Avesta, n.) or to the ancient Iranian language in which it is written (cf. Avestan, n.).
      4. Zend-Avestic 1864–
         Of or relating to the Zend-Avesta, or the ancient Iranian language in which the Avesta is written.
      5. Avestic 1865–
         Of or relating to the Avesta or the ancient Iranian language in which it is written; = Avestan, adj. Cf. Zend-Avestic, adj.
      6. Zend-Avestan 1871–
         a. adj. Of or relating to the Zend-Avesta, or the ancient Iranian language in which the Avesta is written; b. n. the language in which the Avesta…
      7. Gathaic 1891–
      View in Historical Thesaurus
      1. Zend 1762–
         Of or relating to the Avestan language or to the Zend-Avesta; of or relating to Zoroastrianism; Zoroastrian. Also: designating the Avestan language…
      2. Zendic 1791–
         Of or relating to the Avestan language or the Zend-Avesta; designating this language. Also: of or relating to Zoroastrianism; Zoroastrian. Now rare…
      3. Avestan 1856–
         Of or relating to the Avesta (Avesta, n.) or to the ancient Iranian language in which it is written (cf. Avestan, n.).
      4. Avestic 1865–
         Of or relating to the Avesta or the ancient Iranian language in which it is written; = Avestan, adj. Cf. Zend-Avestic, adj.
      5. Avestaic 1879–
         Of or relating to the Avesta or the ancient Iranian language in which it is written; = Avestan, adj.
      6. Gathic 1902–
         a. adj. Of or pertaining to the gathas or the language in which they are written; b. n. the language itself, being the more archaic form of the…
      View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/zɛnd/
zend

### U.S. English

/zɛnd/
zend

####

##### 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. 1700s–1800s
   Zund
2. 1700s–
   Zend
3. 1800s–
   Zand

## Frequency

Zend typically occurs about 0.1 times per million words in modern written English.

Zend 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 Zend, n. & adj., 1750–2010

* 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
--- | ---
1750 | 0.19
1760 | 0.19
1770 | 0.25
1780 | 0.34
1790 | 0.45
1800 | 0.5
1810 | 0.61
1820 | 0.71
1830 | 0.75
1840 | 0.93
1850 | 1.0
1860 | 1.1
1870 | 1.1
1880 | 1.0
1890 | 0.77
1900 | 0.59
1910 | 0.4
1920 | 0.26
1930 | 0.19
1940 | 0.16
1950 | 0.13
1960 | 0.11
1970 | 0.1
1980 | 0.11
1990 | 0.11
2000 | 0.11
2010 | 0.12

## Compounds & derived words

Sort by

1. Zendic, n. & adj. 1771–
   Of or relating to the Avestan language or the…

1. Zendish, adj. & n. 1802–1921
   a. adj.Of or relating to the Avestan language; =…

1. Zendist, n. 1877–1907
   An expert in or student of the Avestan language…

Zend, n. & adj. was revised in June 2018.

Zend, n. & adj. was last modified in September 2024.