Zani زاني and zania زانية in Arabic (and perhaps Hebrew too) are an adjective (descriptive word) for a man and a
woman simultaneously. This adjective comes from the verb zana (past) and yazna (present), zi'na (noun), 'zani (the man who is a fornicator), 'zania (a
woman who is a fornicator), zanoon (a group of fornicators), zoonat (as previous). Thus, in the dictionary, it means fornicate outside
marriage. Therefore zani and zania both mean promiscuous, adulterous man or
woman. Zania is an adulterous
woman who has no honour and no values. She is promiscuous and ungodly. This adjective is not used as a name in the Middle east because it is an insult. However, it is often mistaken with the name Zin (handsome) and Zina (or Zeena) which means beautiful. The two
words pronounce very differently indeed.
These adjectives were mentioned tens of times in the Quran, especially in Sourat Al-Nur and Al-Furkan.
Surat Al-Nur (24) Ayat 3: The
male adulterous (zani)
will only make love to a
female adulterous (zania) or a non-believer and vice versa, and this was forbidden for believers.
الزَّانِي لَا يَنْكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَالزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنْكِحُهَا إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ ۚ وَحُرِّمَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ