one of a Bantu people of South Africa, 1824, a native name. As radio code word for -z- from 1960.

mountain in California, named for local native tribe, for whose name Bright offers no etymology.

one of a native race inhabiting Borneo, also their Austronesian language, by 1834, from Malay dayak "up-country."

river in eastern U.S., from Algonquian Patowmeck, originally the name of a native village in Virginia, perhaps literally "something brought."

not a native letter in Old English; in Anglo-French words it represents the "ts" sound (as in Anglo-French fiz, from Latin filius, modern Fitz); from late 13c. it began to be used for the voiced "s" sound and had fully taken that role by 1400. For letter name, see zed.

Thou whoreson Zed, thou vnnecessary Letter. ["King Lear," II.ii.69]

Series of zs to represent a buzzing sound first attested 1852; zees "spell of sleep, a nap" is slang first recorded 1963, American English student slang.

often said to be from a Germanic source akin to east, but perhaps rather from a native name meaning "waterside dwellers." Related: Estonian.

also Ashantee, 1705, Asiantines, one of the Akan people of central Ghana; a native name. The language, part of the Niger-Congo family, is so called by 1874.

1738 (n.) "one of a people of Mongolia and adjacent regions;" 1763 (adj.), from a native name, said to be from mong "brave." Related: Mongolia.

1867, native name. Khmer Rouge, communist party of Cambodia, literally "Red Khmer," is with French rouge (see rouge (n.)).

native people of Peru and surrounding regions, 1811, from Spanish, according to OED from Quechua (Inca) kechua "plunderer, destroyer." Also the name of their language. Related: Quechuan.