Sionist
/ˈsaɪ.ə.nɪst/noun
A variant spelling of Zionist, meaning a person who supports or is associated with Zionism.
Did you know?“Sion” is an older English and French-influenced spelling of “Zion,” preserved in historic Bible translations and religious writing.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
צִיּוֹן (Ṣiyyōn)
“The biblical place-name Zion, associated especially with the fortified hill or city of Jerusalem; its ultimate meaning is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Σιών (Siṓn)
“The Greek-script form of the biblical name Zion, used in the Septuagint and later Christian texts.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Sion
“The Latin form of the biblical place-name, prominent in the Vulgate and Christian theological writing.”
Middle English
English
Sion
“An English spelling of Zion, used for Jerusalem, its holy hill, or symbolically for the heavenly city.”
19th Century
English
Sionist
“A historical variant spelling formed from Sion plus the agent-noun suffix -ist, referring to an advocate of restoring Jewish national life in the historic Land of Israel.”
Modern English
English
Zionist
“The now-standard spelling, while Sionist survives mainly in historical, regional, or variant usage.”