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sion

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Sion

[Fr. syawn]
–noun
a town in and the capital of Valais, in SW Switzerland. 23,100.

Si⋅on

[sahy-uhn]
–noun
Zion.

-sion

a noun suffix appearing in loanwords from Latin: compulsion.
Compare -tion.


Origin:
< L, equiv. to -s(us), var. of -tus ptp. suffix + -iōn- -ion

-tion

a suffix occurring in words of Latin origin, used to form abstract nouns from verbs or stems not identical with verbs, whether as expressing action (revolution; commendation), or a state (contrition; starvation), or associated meanings (relation; temptation).


Origin:
< L -tiōn- (s. of -tiō), equiv. to -t(us) ptp. suffix + -iōn- -ion

Va⋅lais

[Fr. va-le; Eng. va-ley]
–noun
a canton in SW Switzerland. 211,600; 2021 sq. mi. (5235 sq. km). Capital: Sion.

Zi⋅on

[zahy-uhn]
–noun
1. a hill in Jerusalem, on which the Temple was built (used to symbolize the city itself, esp. as a religious or spiritual center).
2. the Jewish people.
3. Palestine as the Jewish homeland and symbol of Judaism.
4. heaven as the final gathering place of true believers.
5. a city in NE Illinois. 17,861.
Also, Sion (for defs. 1–4).


Origin:
bef. 1000; < Heb sīyyōn; r. ME, OE Sion < LL (Vulgate) Siōn < Gk (Septuagint) Sein < Heb, as above
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To sion
Si·on   (sī'ən)   
n.  Variant of Zion.
Zi·on   (zī'ən)   
n.  
    1. The historic land of Israel as a symbol of the Jewish people.

    2. The Jewish people; Israel.

  1. A place or religious community regarded as sacredly devoted to God.

  2. An idealized, harmonious community; utopia.


[Middle English Sion, from Old English, from Late Latin Siōn, from Greek Seiōn, from Hebrew ṣiyyôn; see ṣwy2 in Semitic roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

Zion 
O.E. Sion, from Gk. Seon, from Heb. Tsiyon, name of a Canaanite hill fortress in Jerusalem captured by David and called in the Bible "City of David." It became the center of Jewish life and worship. Zionism "movement for forming (later supporting) a Jewish national state in Palestine" first attested 1896, from Ger. Zionismus (from Zion + L.-derived suffix -ismus), first recorded 1886 in "Selbstemancipation," by "Matthias Acher" (pseudonym of Nathan Birnbaum).

-tion 
suffix forming nouns from verbs, from L. -tionem, accusative of noun suffix -tio (gen. -tionis) forming nouns of condition and action (the -t- is the Latin pp. stem).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Bible Dictionary

Sion

elevated. (1.) Denotes Mount Hermon in Deut. 4:48; called Sirion by the Sidonians, and by the Amorites Shenir (Deut. 3:9). (See HERMON.) (2.) The Greek form of Zion (q.v.) in Matt. 21:5; John 12:15.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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Encyclopedia

Sion

capital of Valais canton, southwestern Switzerland. It lies along the Rhone River, at the mouth of La Sionne River, southeast of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman). It originated as a Celtic and Roman settlement called Sedunum. Sion became the seat of a bishop in the late 6th century, and from 999 the bishops of Sion held the spiritual and temporal power in Valais, which they retained, at least in part, until 1798. The two hillocks that dominate the town are crowned by the remains of the 13th-century Chateau de Tourbillon and those of the Chateau de Valere (Valeria), now containing a historical museum and a mainly 13th-century church. Other notable buildings are the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-du-Glarier, the Church of Saint-Theodule (1516), the Maison Supersaxo (1505), the town hall (1660), and the remains of the Chateau de la Majorie, now housing an art gallery. The town is on the road and rail routes from Lausanne to Milan via the Simplon Pass. It is an important market for vegetables, fruit, and wine. The population is predominantly French speaking. Pop. (2007 est.) 28,633.

Learn more about Sion with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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