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ge·ni·zah also ge·ni·za (gə-nē′zä, gə-nēzə)

n. pl. ge·ni·zoth (-nē′zōth) or ge·ni·zot (-nē′zōt, -nēzōs′) also ge·ni·zahs or ge·ni·zas

A repository in a synagogue where worn-out or desecrated sacred texts or objects are stored.

[Medieval Hebrew gənîzâ, from Mishnaic Hebrew, hiding, storage, verbal noun of gānaz, to hide, from Aramaic gənaz, denominative verb from Aramaic ginzā, ganzā, treasure, treasury, of Iranian origin; akin to Middle Persian ganǰ, treasure.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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