ζυτᾶς

ζῡτᾶς, ᾶ, ὁ,

A brewer, BGU 1087ii2 (iii A.D.).

Grammatical information: m. n.

Meaning: `Egyptian or northern (LSJ) beer' (Thphr., Str.; The Egyptians did not kmow the wine acc. to Hdt. 2, 77, but this is wrong (Masson, RPh. 1962, 50), A. Supp. 952f.).

Other forms: Pap. almost only ζῦτος (- ύ-; s. LSJ.); the υ is long in verse, LSJ.

Compounds: As 1. member e. g. in ζυτο-ποιός, - έω, - ία `beer-brewer, brew, brewing' (pap.).

Derivatives: ζύθιον ἀλφίτου πόσις H., ζυτᾶς `brewer', ζυτηρά `beer-tax', ζυτικός, n. - όν `id.' (pap.).

Origin: LW [a loanword which is (probably) not of Pre-Greek origin]X [probably] Egypt.

Etymology: The meaning suggests Egyptian origin (Sommer Lautstud. 153, Peruzzi Humanitas 1, 138f., Nencione, St. It. Fil Class. 16 (1939) 21 n. 2). The comparison with ζύμη might point to IE origin (Schrader-Nehring Reallex. 1, 143, also Specht Ursprung 255). The variation θ\/τ seems to point to Pre-Greek, but I see no confirmation. A Greek suffix - θος is doubtful, cf. Chantraine, Form. 365-8. Henning ( BSOAS 11 (1949) 720 and 28 (1965) 245) thinks that the word was taken from Scythian, cf. Sogd. zwtk (read: zute) `alcoholic drink, beer', as in the case of ἀκινάκης.

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