| 2 | Strong's #2223, ζώνη, properly the lower girdle worn by women just above the hips.
ζώνη is not the normal word used for a man’s belt. The more typical term for a man's belt, especially in martial or practical contexts, is ζωστήρ.
Key Differences:
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ζώνη:
- Commonly refers to a woman’s belt or girdle, particularly the lower girdle worn around the hips.
- It is associated with women’s attire, marriage, childbirth, and sometimes metaphorical or symbolic uses (e.g., in phrases related to conception or waist regions).
- When used for men, it often describes non-martial belts or metaphorical uses (e.g., the belt of Orion, zones of the Earth).
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ζωστήρ:
- The primary term for a man’s belt, especially in military contexts.
- It denotes the functional girdle worn over armor or clothing, often securing weapons or equipment.
- Found in epic poetry (e.g., Homer), where it is regularly associated with warriors and their battle gear.
Supporting Examples:
- ζώνη in Homer (e.g., Od. 5.231) clearly describes the girdle of women, emphasizing its use as part of feminine attire.
- ζωστήρ in the Iliad frequently appears in martial contexts, describing the belts of male warriors: e.g., ζωστῆρες ἕαττο ("they put on their belts," Il. 3.332).
While ζώνη can occasionally refer to a man’s belt, such usage is less common and tends to occur in non-martial or figurative contexts. For example:
- In Xenophon (Anabasis 1.6.10), ζώνη refers to the belt of barbarians, which held daggers, showing it could describe a practical belt worn by men, but it is secondary to ζωστήρ for Greek contexts.
Thus, ζώνη is primarily associated with women, while ζωστήρ is the standard term for a man’s belt, especially in contexts involving warriors or formal attire. |