LJLA rare var. זבן (see s.v. zbn #2); it is clear from good texts and the Syriac equivalent ܙܒܢܐ‏ that in JLA and LJLA this word is properly treated as masculine in the sense of "time period" and as feminine in the sense of "instance". Generally always masculine i n Jewish texts.

Probably from Akkadian (i.e., Assyrian!) simānu; see AIOA 91f. A. Panaino has recently argued instead for an Old Iranian origin in Iran and the Caucasus 21(2017): 150ff.; however his understanding of the phonology and semantics of the Semitic material is weak. Rather the expansion of the idea from 'set time' to the abstract idea within Iranian is native and has influenced only Syriac usage, for which see also s.v. zbn #2.