Ziziphus
/ˈzɪzɪfəs/noun
A genus of shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family, including jujube and related species.
Did you know?Ziziphus ultimately comes from a very old word for jujube that passed through Greek and Latin, showing how botanical names can preserve ancient trade routes and lost pronunciations.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Grk
ζίζυφον (zízyphon)
“The jujube fruit or jujube tree.”
Latin
Lat
zizyphum
“Jujube; the fruit or tree name borrowed from Greek.”
Medieval Latin
Lat
ziziphus
“Jujube tree; later used as a botanical name.”
Early Modern Scientific Latin
Lat
Ziziphus
“A genus name applied in formal taxonomy.”
Modern English
Eng
ziziphus
“A genus of shrubs and small trees, especially jujubes.”