Sion
/ˈsaɪ.ən/noun
A traditional English and French variant spelling of Zion, especially in biblical or place-name contexts.
Did you know?“Sion” appears in older English Bible traditions and remains the official English name of Sion, a city in Switzerland, whose name ultimately comes through Greek and Latin from Hebrew Ṣiyyôn.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
צִיּוֹן (Ṣiyyôn)
“The name of Zion, a fortified hill or stronghold associated with Jerusalem”
Septuagint period
Greek
Σιών (Siṓn)
“Greek rendering of the Hebrew place-name”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Sion
“Latin biblical form of the name”
Old English period
Old English
Sion
“Biblical name transmitted through Latin Christian texts”
Middle English
English
Sion
“A spelling used for the biblical Zion, especially in religious writing”
Modern English
English
Sion
“An archaic or variant form of Zion, and the English name of the Swiss city Sion”
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