# weeds



## Scholiast

χαίρετ᾽ ὦ φίλοι

I am aware that gardening has not the same enthusiastic following in Hellas as it does, despite our climate, in the UK. But farmers at least must have a word for 'weed(s)', that is, for undesirable (or undesired) and intrusive plant-species which interfere with the cultivation of the crops or fruit that are needed. What is the proper word for these, please, either in classical or modern Greek?

Σ


----------



## Acestor

Hi

In modern Greek we use *ζιζάνιο *(plural ζιζάνια) for all kinds of noxious plants, and it comes from the Hellenistic *ζιζάνιον *used in Matthew’s parable of the weeds to refer perhaps to an enemy of wheat.

Parable of the Tares - Wikipedia

The word is probably of Sumerian origin. In modern Greek we also use the word *ζιζανιοκτόνα *for weedkillers.


----------



## Scholiast

Thank you Acestor, that is an impeccable answer. I was wanting to coin a word in contraposition to 'anthology' for a collection of horribly bad poems, and 'Zizaniology' does the trick perfectly.

Most grateful, _chapeau, _Sir.

Σ


----------



## soplamocos

Amazing, the word sounds very similar to the spanish word _cizaña_, so I have checked the dictionary and yes! it cames from the plural of ζιζάνιον. I would never imagine that, in fact, the first aception in the spanish dictionary is the most related to 'weeds', I always used it with the meaning of create troubles among people (to make them fight one against other, like in the story of _Asterix and the "cizaña"_ (the english version is titled _Asterix and the roman agent_). I wonder which word is used in the greek translation.


----------



## sotos

Also, βάτα, especially for hardy weeds. It's a biblican word, as well.


----------



## Scholiast

Likewise, Sotos, εὐχαριστῶ πολὐ. But I somehow think that, even though this word too has its biblical pedigree, 'Batology' does not quite have the same clout as 'Zizaniology'!

Σ


----------



## sotos

Ha! I didn't know that "zizaniology" exists in english. As I see here, it was probably coined by a Greek [ Zizaniology, a new name of weed science]. Possibly vatology could be a sub-specialty of zizaniology.


----------



## Scholiast

Hello Sotos!

I didn't know that 'zizianology' exists in English either. I thought I had invented it (but with regard to linguistic proprieties!), because it ought to (exist, I mean) for the sake of my proposed collection of utterly awful poems, mostly by jejune Americans.

Σ


----------



## sotos

In that case, since the semantic niche is occupied by "zizaniology", you can invent "vatology" for your poems collection. It's in Exodus 3.2


----------



## Scholiast

χαῖρε ὦ Sotos, καὶ φίλοι πἀντες



sotos said:


> since the semantic niche is occupied by "zizaniology", you can invent "vatology" for your poems collection. It's in Exodus 3.2



Excellent. But when I try to sell these McGonagle-isms to a publisher, I have a feeling that _Zizianology_ will cut more mustard. If and when I get the thing done, there will certainly be appropriate acknowledgments to Acestor and to Sotos in the Preface, and they will be sincerely meant.

Σ


----------



## Αγγελος

The original (French) title of the Asterix volume referred to above is "La zizanie". "Semer la zizanie" is a common French expression for 'sowing discord". Of course, the word goes back to the Greek word used in the parable. However, the botanical sense is the predominant one in Greek, which is probably why the Asterix volume was simply translated as Η Διχόνοια (=discord, disunion).
A turbulent child can also be referred to as a ζιζάνιο in Greek. 
For "weeds" we also have the word αγριόχορτα, literally "wild herbs". "Seaweed" is φύκια.
Ι think that βάτος, plural βάτα, is more specifically a briar bush. And in any case, if one wanted to derive an English word out of it, it should be bato- To avoid the possible confusion with -ology in the sense of 'study', you might think of 'zizaniolegium' (after 'florilegium', which is the Latin equivalent of ανθολογία.) But I love your 'zizaniology'!


----------

