Lemizh / English dictionary

zmà.

to look after someone-dat, to care for someone-dat

zmè. caretaker, sitter, forming compounds such as:

zmilèj. housesitter (⇐ ⇔ zmà lÌji. ‘look after a house’)
zmicnè. babysitter for children
zmixmès. babysitter for babies
etc.

Usage notes

Compounds such as the ones above (with an epenthetic dative) typically denote taking care of someone or something for some length of time and for some compensation such as money.

A dated folk etymology views this verb as the female (i.e. zero–poststem) form of zmàxt. ‘to guide’ and has, in extreme cases, interpreted it as a softer or weaker variant of the latter. Don’t pun on the similarity of these two words unless you want to get really unpopular.

Etymology

< NLem zOm‑a
< LMLem suzÒmyn‑ar ‘benefactor’
< MLem suzOOmyn‑ar
< OLem hsuzömyn‑ ‘good gift’ [either referring to an area of land or to a good person]
< PLem *hsuzōman‑
< PIE *h₁su‑déh₃mn̥ ‘good gift’, compound of
  PIE *h₁su‑ ‘good-’, metathesis, prefix form of
  PIE *h₁u̯es‑ ‘good’
 —and—
  PIE *déh₃‑mn̥ ‘gift’, neuter abstract -mn̥-noun of
  PIE *deh₃‑ ‘give’

Cognates

Gk εὐ‑ ‘good‑’; Lat dō ‘give’