zone English · revision 3890

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1393–94|origins=grc ζώννυμι}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /zəʊn/, US /zoʊn/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|zōna|t=girdle, belt; geographical belt, celestial zone]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) or French zone,^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) from [[grc|ζώνη|tr=zṓnē|t=belt, girdle]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[m|grc|ζώννυμι|tr=zṓnnumi|t=to gird]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[ine-pro|*yōs-|t=to gird]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) the root also of Lithuanian júosti “to gird”, Old Church Slavonic pojasŭ “girdle” and Avestan yāsta “girt”.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Each of the five great belts of the earth's surface, such as the torrid and frigid zones: 1393–94 in Barnhart^(Barnhart 1988) and before 1500 in the OED.^(OED 1989) Etymonline dates zone as a belt worn as part of dress to the late 14th century.^(Etymonline) The 10th-century Old English treatise on astronomy rendered Latin quinque zonas as “fyf gyrdlas”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was first used of the five belts divided by the tropics and polar circles,^(Cresswell 2021)^(Etymonline) and then of any region between definite limits, from 1559.^(OED 1989) Encircling bands in general are from about 1600,^(Etymonline) a girdle as dress from 1608,^(OED 1989) and bands of colour from 1752.^(Etymonline) The girdle sense is obsolete but survived in poetry.^(Etymonline) Any distinct region set off from those around it, as a demilitarised zone, is from 1822.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) The town-planning sense, an area under special building restrictions, is from 1909,^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) and the verb “to divide into zones” in planning from 1916.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) ''Zone defence'' in team sports is from 1927.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The occupation zones of Germany and Austria are from 1945,^(OED 1989) and ''in the zone'', in a state of perfect concentration, from the 1970s.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1393–94 – a belt of the earth.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1559 – a region between limits.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1608 – a girdle.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1752 – a band of colour.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1822 – a distinct region.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1909 – a planning zone.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1927 – ''zone defence''.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1970s – ''in the zone''.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An area distinguished from nearby parts by some feature: ''a war zone''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Any of the five [[climate|alt=climatic]] belts of the earth's surface, such as the [[Torrid Zone]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # An area set aside for a particular use under [[zoning]] laws.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # An area served by a particular rate of postage or fare, or sharing a time.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(archaic)'' A [[girdle]] or belt.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To divide into zones, or to set aside for a particular use.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To encircle as with a belt.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[zoner]]

+ * [[zoneless]]

+ * [[zonal]]

+ * [[zoning]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}