זיי

Probably from Middle High German siu, a byform of sie (“she, they”), whence Yiddish זי (zi, “she”). Originally siu was nominative feminine and plural neuter, while sie was accusative feminine and plural masculine/feminine. This distinction was lost altogether in Standard German. However, systems that have made sie the feminine form and siu the plural form do exist in certain varieties of Bavarian. The Yiddish outcome of siu should actually be *zay rather than zey, but minor phonetic deviations are not unusual in function words.

• (YIVO, Ukrainish) IPA^(key): /zɛɪ̯/
• (Northeastern) IPA^(key): /zeɪ̯/
• (Poylish) IPA^(key): /zaɪ̯/

זיי • (zey)

1. they (third-person plural subject pronoun)
2. dative/accusative of זיי (zey); them, to them

זיי • (zay)

1. (nonstandard) Unpointed form of זײַ (zay): to be