זיטא
Grammatical information: noun f
Translation: letter ‘zeta’ (numerical value 7)
Translation equivalent: ζῆτα(Ancient Greek+)
Usage:
Domain: numerals/letters
Socio-cultural norm: code-switching/core borrowing
Normativity: ad-hoc usage
Meaning type: lit.
Frequency: hapax legomenon
אמר להון מדידכון אנא ממטי לכון זיטא
14,2 [I 127: 3]
He replied to them: From your own [language] I will prove it to you: “Zeṭaʾ (live) epṭah (seven), eṭah (go) akṭo (eight)” (Freedman / Simon I: 112)
איטה
אמר להון מדידכון אנה ממטי לכון זיטא
20,6 [I 189: 3]
He replied to them: From your own [language] I will prove it to you: “Zeṭaʾ (live) epṭah (seven), eṭah (go) akṭo (eight)” (Freedman / Simon I: 164)
היטה
= Yalq. Bereshit 20 (6c: 53); NumR 4,3; Yalq. Bemidbar 692 (220d: 13), Tanh Bemidbar 18, TanhB Bemidbar 21; yYev 5d: 7 (corr.): זוטא 〈zwṭʾ〉
According to R. Huna a foetus which was born at 7th month is viable, but a foetus which was born at 8th month is not viable. R. Abbahu gives a mnemonic based on a Greek pun: The name of the Greek letter ‘zeta’ (numerical value 7) sounds like the Greek imp. ζῆτω (‘let it live!’), while the name of the letter ‘eta’ (numerical value 8) sounds like the Greek ἲτω (‘let it go!’, i.e. ‘die!’).
Bibliography:
How to cite: Art. זיטא in: Dictionary of Loanwords in Rabbinic Literature. Eds. . https://lrl.acdh.oeaw.ac.at/zeta.html. 2024.
