"zenana" meaning in English

See zenana in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /zəˈnɑːnə/ Forms: zenanas [plural]
Etymology: From Hindi ज़नाना (zanānā), Urdu زنانه (zanānah), from Classical Persian زنانه (zanāna, “womanly”), from زن (zan, “woman”). Related to Old English cwene (“woman”). More at quean. Etymology templates: {{uder|en|hi|ज़नाना}} Hindi ज़नाना (zanānā), {{uder|en|ur|زنانه|tr=zanānah}} Urdu زنانه (zanānah), {{uder|en|fa-cls|زنانه||womanly|tr=zanāna}} Classical Persian زنانه (zanāna, “womanly”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} zenana (plural zenanas)
  1. (South Asia) Synonym of harem, a area of a house or palace for high-caste women or for the wives of a wealthy man; the women thus kept; the system of segregating women in this way. Tags: South-Asia Synonyms: harem [synonym, synonym-of]
    Sense id: en-zenana-en-noun-1yAV~P2i Categories (other): South Asian English, English entries with incorrect language header, English undefined derivations, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 33 18 19 30 Disambiguation of English undefined derivations: 21 23 26 31 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 30 18 20 32
  2. (South Asia) Synonym of sissy, an effeminate man. Tags: South-Asia Categories (topical): Gender Synonyms: sissy [synonym, synonym-of]
    Sense id: en-zenana-en-noun-7Eq-DmJ3 Disambiguation of Gender: 23 43 17 16 Categories (other): South Asian English, English entries with incorrect language header, English undefined derivations, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 33 18 19 30 Disambiguation of English undefined derivations: 21 23 26 31 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 30 18 20 32
  3. (South Asia) Synonym of bottom, the passive partner in male homosexual sex. Tags: South-Asia Synonyms: bottom [synonym, synonym-of]
    Sense id: en-zenana-en-noun-qjRr0HlD Categories (other): South Asian English, English entries with incorrect language header, English undefined derivations, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 33 18 19 30 Disambiguation of English undefined derivations: 21 23 26 31 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 30 18 20 32
  4. (South Asia) Synonym of trans woman, a person assigned male at birth who identifies as female. Tags: South-Asia Synonyms: trans woman [synonym, synonym-of]
    Sense id: en-zenana-en-noun-lQzy~bRP Categories (other): South Asian English, English entries with incorrect language header, English undefined derivations, Pages with 3 entries, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 33 18 19 30 Disambiguation of English undefined derivations: 21 23 26 31 Disambiguation of Pages with 3 entries: 24 21 24 30 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 30 18 20 32
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: zanána Related terms: mardana, zanána-mandli, hijra

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hi",
        "3": "ज़नाना"
      },
      "expansion": "Hindi ज़नाना (zanānā)",
      "name": "uder"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ur",
        "3": "زنانه",
        "tr": "zanānah"
      },
      "expansion": "Urdu زنانه (zanānah)",
      "name": "uder"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fa-cls",
        "3": "زنانه",
        "4": "",
        "5": "womanly",
        "tr": "zanāna"
      },
      "expansion": "Classical Persian زنانه (zanāna, “womanly”)",
      "name": "uder"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Hindi ज़नाना (zanānā), Urdu زنانه (zanānah), from Classical Persian زنانه (zanāna, “womanly”), from زن (zan, “woman”). Related to Old English cwene (“woman”). More at quean.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "zenanas",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "zenana (plural zenanas)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "mardana"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "zanána-mandli"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "hijra"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "South Asian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 18 19 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 23 26 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English undefined derivations",
          "parents": [
            "Undefined derivations",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 18 20 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1888, Rudyard Kipling, “The Bisara of Pooree”, in Plain Tales from the Hills, Folio Society, published 2005, page 173:",
          "text": "Depend upon it, Solomon would never have built altars to Ashtaroth and all those ladies with queer names, if there had not been trouble of some kind in his zenana, and nowhere else.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1993, William Dalrymple, City of Djinns, Penguin, published 2004, page 59:",
          "text": "Yet inside the walls of the havelis and the lattice screens of the zenana, life goes on as it always did.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1997, Kiran Nagarkar, Cuckold, HarperCollins, published 2013, page 84:",
          "text": "Out of the blue, the chief eunuch of the zenana appears.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, Amitav Ghosh, Sea of Poppies, Penguin, published 2015, page 110:",
          "text": "‘You have more than enough to occupy you, I'm sure, with all your palaces and zenanas and budgerows.’",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of harem, a area of a house or palace for high-caste women or for the wives of a wealthy man; the women thus kept; the system of segregating women in this way."
      ],
      "id": "en-zenana-en-noun-1yAV~P2i",
      "links": [
        [
          "harem",
          "harem#English"
        ],
        [
          "area",
          "area"
        ],
        [
          "house",
          "house"
        ],
        [
          "palace",
          "palace"
        ],
        [
          "high",
          "high"
        ],
        [
          "caste",
          "caste"
        ],
        [
          "women",
          "women"
        ],
        [
          "wives",
          "wives"
        ],
        [
          "wealthy",
          "wealthy"
        ],
        [
          "man",
          "man"
        ],
        [
          "thus",
          "thus"
        ],
        [
          "kept",
          "kept"
        ],
        [
          "system",
          "system"
        ],
        [
          "segregating",
          "segregating"
        ],
        [
          "this",
          "this"
        ],
        [
          "way",
          "way"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(South Asia) Synonym of harem, a area of a house or palace for high-caste women or for the wives of a wealthy man; the women thus kept; the system of segregating women in this way."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "a area of a house or palace for high-caste women or for the wives of a wealthy man; the women thus kept; the system of segregating women in this way",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "harem"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Asia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "South Asian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 18 19 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 23 26 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English undefined derivations",
          "parents": [
            "Undefined derivations",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 18 20 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 43 17 16",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Gender",
          "orig": "en:Gender",
          "parents": [
            "Biology",
            "Psychology",
            "Sociology",
            "Sciences",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Society",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of sissy, an effeminate man."
      ],
      "id": "en-zenana-en-noun-7Eq-DmJ3",
      "links": [
        [
          "sissy",
          "sissy#English"
        ],
        [
          "effeminate",
          "effeminate"
        ],
        [
          "man",
          "man"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(South Asia) Synonym of sissy, an effeminate man."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "an effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "sissy"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Asia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "South Asian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 18 19 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 23 26 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English undefined derivations",
          "parents": [
            "Undefined derivations",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 18 20 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1999, Neither Man nor Woman: The Hijras of India:",
          "text": "In parts of North India, effeminate males who are assumed to play the passive role in homosexual relationships are referred to as zenana, literally meaning woman.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of bottom, the passive partner in male homosexual sex."
      ],
      "id": "en-zenana-en-noun-qjRr0HlD",
      "links": [
        [
          "bottom",
          "bottom#English"
        ],
        [
          "passive",
          "passive"
        ],
        [
          "partner",
          "partner"
        ],
        [
          "male",
          "male"
        ],
        [
          "homosexual",
          "homosexual"
        ],
        [
          "sex",
          "sex"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(South Asia) Synonym of bottom, the passive partner in male homosexual sex."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "the passive partner in male homosexual sex",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "bottom"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Asia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "South Asian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 18 19 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 23 26 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English undefined derivations",
          "parents": [
            "Undefined derivations",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 21 24 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 3 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 18 20 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1911, A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province:",
          "text": "For some years past the zanána'''s have celebrated the Holi as a carnival. They assume female names, by which they are called in their own circle. Most of them are beardless youth; those who have beards shave them. Náz nakhra (flirtation) becomes their second nature.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of trans woman, a person assigned male at birth who identifies as female."
      ],
      "id": "en-zenana-en-noun-lQzy~bRP",
      "links": [
        [
          "trans woman",
          "trans woman#English"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ],
        [
          "assign",
          "assign"
        ],
        [
          "male",
          "male"
        ],
        [
          "identifies",
          "identifies"
        ],
        [
          "female",
          "female"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(South Asia) Synonym of trans woman, a person assigned male at birth who identifies as female."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "a person assigned male at birth who identifies as female",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "trans woman"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Asia"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/zəˈnɑːnə/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "zanána"
    }
  ],
  "word": "zenana"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Classical Persian",
    "English terms derived from Hindi",
    "English terms derived from Urdu",
    "English undefined derivations",
    "Pages with 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Gender"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hi",
        "3": "ज़नाना"
      },
      "expansion": "Hindi ज़नाना (zanānā)",
      "name": "uder"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ur",
        "3": "زنانه",
        "tr": "zanānah"
      },
      "expansion": "Urdu زنانه (zanānah)",
      "name": "uder"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fa-cls",
        "3": "زنانه",
        "4": "",
        "5": "womanly",
        "tr": "zanāna"
      },
      "expansion": "Classical Persian زنانه (zanāna, “womanly”)",
      "name": "uder"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Hindi ज़नाना (zanānā), Urdu زنانه (zanānah), from Classical Persian زنانه (zanāna, “womanly”), from زن (zan, “woman”). Related to Old English cwene (“woman”). More at quean.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "zenanas",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "zenana (plural zenanas)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "mardana"
    },
    {
      "word": "zanána-mandli"
    },
    {
      "word": "hijra"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned",
        "South Asian English"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1888, Rudyard Kipling, “The Bisara of Pooree”, in Plain Tales from the Hills, Folio Society, published 2005, page 173:",
          "text": "Depend upon it, Solomon would never have built altars to Ashtaroth and all those ladies with queer names, if there had not been trouble of some kind in his zenana, and nowhere else.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1993, William Dalrymple, City of Djinns, Penguin, published 2004, page 59:",
          "text": "Yet inside the walls of the havelis and the lattice screens of the zenana, life goes on as it always did.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1997, Kiran Nagarkar, Cuckold, HarperCollins, published 2013, page 84:",
          "text": "Out of the blue, the chief eunuch of the zenana appears.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, Amitav Ghosh, Sea of Poppies, Penguin, published 2015, page 110:",
          "text": "‘You have more than enough to occupy you, I'm sure, with all your palaces and zenanas and budgerows.’",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of harem, a area of a house or palace for high-caste women or for the wives of a wealthy man; the women thus kept; the system of segregating women in this way."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "harem",
          "harem#English"
        ],
        [
          "area",
          "area"
        ],
        [
          "house",
          "house"
        ],
        [
          "palace",
          "palace"
        ],
        [
          "high",
          "high"
        ],
        [
          "caste",
          "caste"
        ],
        [
          "women",
          "women"
        ],
        [
          "wives",
          "wives"
        ],
        [
          "wealthy",
          "wealthy"
        ],
        [
          "man",
          "man"
        ],
        [
          "thus",
          "thus"
        ],
        [
          "kept",
          "kept"
        ],
        [
          "system",
          "system"
        ],
        [
          "segregating",
          "segregating"
        ],
        [
          "this",
          "this"
        ],
        [
          "way",
          "way"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(South Asia) Synonym of harem, a area of a house or palace for high-caste women or for the wives of a wealthy man; the women thus kept; the system of segregating women in this way."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "a area of a house or palace for high-caste women or for the wives of a wealthy man; the women thus kept; the system of segregating women in this way",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "harem"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Asia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "South Asian English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of sissy, an effeminate man."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sissy",
          "sissy#English"
        ],
        [
          "effeminate",
          "effeminate"
        ],
        [
          "man",
          "man"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(South Asia) Synonym of sissy, an effeminate man."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "an effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "sissy"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Asia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned",
        "South Asian English"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1999, Neither Man nor Woman: The Hijras of India:",
          "text": "In parts of North India, effeminate males who are assumed to play the passive role in homosexual relationships are referred to as zenana, literally meaning woman.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of bottom, the passive partner in male homosexual sex."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "bottom",
          "bottom#English"
        ],
        [
          "passive",
          "passive"
        ],
        [
          "partner",
          "partner"
        ],
        [
          "male",
          "male"
        ],
        [
          "homosexual",
          "homosexual"
        ],
        [
          "sex",
          "sex"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(South Asia) Synonym of bottom, the passive partner in male homosexual sex."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "the passive partner in male homosexual sex",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "bottom"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Asia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned",
        "South Asian English"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1911, A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province:",
          "text": "For some years past the zanána'''s have celebrated the Holi as a carnival. They assume female names, by which they are called in their own circle. Most of them are beardless youth; those who have beards shave them. Náz nakhra (flirtation) becomes their second nature.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of trans woman, a person assigned male at birth who identifies as female."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "trans woman",
          "trans woman#English"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ],
        [
          "assign",
          "assign"
        ],
        [
          "male",
          "male"
        ],
        [
          "identifies",
          "identifies"
        ],
        [
          "female",
          "female"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(South Asia) Synonym of trans woman, a person assigned male at birth who identifies as female."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "a person assigned male at birth who identifies as female",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "trans woman"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Asia"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/zəˈnɑːnə/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "zanána"
    }
  ],
  "word": "zenana"
}

Download raw JSONL data for zenana meaning in English (5.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-11-21 using wiktextract (95d2be1 and 64224ec). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.