גניזה

גניזה

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
ג־נ־ז‎ (g-n-z)

Borrowed from Old Persian [Term?] (/*ganza-/, “treasure, depository”), from Old Median *ganzah. Compare Persian گنج‎ (ganj) and Mandaic ࡂࡉࡍࡆࡀ‎ (ginza). See also גְּנָזִים‎ (g'nazím) and גִּזְבָּר‎ (gizbár) (ultimately from Old Median *ganzabarah).

Noun

גְּנִיזָה • (g'nizá) f (plural indefinite גְּנִיזוֹת‎) [pattern: קְטִילָה]

1. archiving, storage, preservation, hiding
   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Shabbat 16:1:

     ‏וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכְּתוּבִים בְּכָל לָשׁוֹן, טְעוּנִים גְּנִיזָה.‎‎

     V-af al pi she-ktuvím b-khol lashón, t'uním g'nizá.

     And no matter what language they are written in, they require archiving.

2. shelving
3. genizah, depository where sacred items are kept before they can be properly buried
   • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzi'a 20b:

     ‏סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה חֲזֵי לְמִקְרָא בְּבָלוּי וְהָא בָּעֵי גְּנִיזָה שָׁם תְּהֵא גְּנִיזָתָהּ‎‎

     Séfer Toráh ḥazéi l-miqrá. B-valúy, v-há ba'éi g'nizá? Sham t'héi g'nizatáh.

     A Pentateuch scroll is fit to read. For one that is worn out, doesn't it need a genizah? Its geniza is there!

Derived terms

• English: genizah