Cyprus-Forum.com

[iceman]

I was trying to find the thread where Halil made several pages of words that pretty much was the same in Turkish and Greek which is commonly used in Cyprus by the Cypriots, which there were hundreds of such words. Perhaps Halil can post those Turkish-Greek words one more time so to shut Doesntknow for once and for all on this subject.

Kikapu
You have to accept there are far too many words used by GC's in Cyprus which is not Greek and clearly originate from Turkish language.
Even the name sheftalia (seftali) has no meaning in any language except Turkish..(even tho the dish Sheftali is unknown by Turks in Turkey)

You are correct Iceman..............I think.!

Lets take my favourite Cypriot dish which I cook few times a year here in Switzerland but the product comes from Cyprus, Molohia. I was shocked to learn recently, that the GC's call it Moloha. Molohia is unheard of in Turkey, atleast as a dish anyway, but not certain about the vegetation itself, and I assume it is not known in Greece either. So, how can the name Molohia/ Moloha can be a Turkish or a Greek word, if it's only known in Cyprus. Can it be that some words are locally invented in Cyprus by both the communities and it really doesn't matter which one said it first.

You make another perfect example above with the word "Sheftali" (Seftali).! Since the dish is not known in Turkey and that's where the Turkish language comes from, then how can it be Turkish and only used by the TC's in Cyprus. Could it be once again, that it is a word invented in Cyprus, but by whom, TC's or GC's.? Can it just not be a Cypriot word with slight variation of the letter arrangement to suit the tongue of the one who is saying it, and just leave it at that.! All I know is, the damn thing tastes great, and you are correct, to the TC's, lamb Sheftali tastes better than the one's made from pork.!

Discussing food culture is one of my favorite subjects when ever i get to meet GC friends,so from what i learned,Molohiya or Moloha as known by GC's is a dish originated from Egypt.
Neither the vegetation nor the dish is known in Turkey and the dish is not as popular amongst GC community as it is with the Turks in Cyprus.
The reason for this (i assumed) is the fact that the dish is cooked with lamb meat and "kuyruk yagi" and lamb not being as popular as pork amongst GC's this dish never caught on.

As to sheftali/a i agree with you the word for this delicacy must have been invented by Cypriots.
The only thing comes to my mind is sheftali (the fruit from Bursa region is world famous) is often used to describe something very tasty and delicous and might have been used metaphorically to describe this dish at one point..

I think these common words used by Cypriots form a part of the Cypriot culture and i strongly believe should be preserved.

[denizaksulu]

I was trying to find the thread where Halil made several pages of words that pretty much was the same in Turkish and Greek which is commonly used in Cyprus by the Cypriots, which there were hundreds of such words. Perhaps Halil can post those Turkish-Greek words one more time so to shut Doesntknow for once and for all on this subject.

Kikapu
You have to accept there are far too many words used by GC's in Cyprus which is not Greek and clearly originate from Turkish language.
Even the name sheftalia (seftali) has no meaning in any language except Turkish..(even tho the dish Sheftali is unknown by Turks in Turkey)

You are correct Iceman..............I think.!

Lets take my favourite Cypriot dish which I cook few times a year here in Switzerland but the product comes from Cyprus, Molohia. I was shocked to learn recently, that the GC's call it Moloha. Molohia is unheard of in Turkey, atleast as a dish anyway, but not certain about the vegetation itself, and I assume it is not known in Greece either. So, how can the name Molohia/ Moloha can be a Turkish or a Greek word, if it's only known in Cyprus. Can it be that some words are locally invented in Cyprus by both the communities and it really doesn't matter which one said it first.

You make another perfect example above with the word "Sheftali" (Seftali).! Since the dish is not known in Turkey and that's where the Turkish language comes from, then how can it be Turkish and only used by the TC's in Cyprus. Could it be once again, that it is a word invented in Cyprus, but by whom, TC's or GC's.? Can it just not be a Cypriot word with slight variation of the letter arrangement to suit the tongue of the one who is saying it, and just leave it at that.! All I know is, the damn thing tastes great, and you are correct, to the TC's, lamb Sheftali tastes better than the one's made from pork.!

Apparently recipees for Molohiyya (Arabic , are found in Egyptian Papyri). It is also eaten with relish in Syria, Palestine and Egypt ofcourse. My conclusion is that its not even Turkish. But who cares? only some zealots who like to claim everything as theirs.

[iceman]

There are also many Cypriot Greek words that are not known in Greece or have a different meaning . I will try and post a few but here is one Cypriot word, KARGOLA meaning BED where in Greece it means WHORE.
Some Cypriot words that do not exist in Greece :
KKELLE = HEAD
PROTSA =FORK
TSIAKKI OR TSIAKKOUI =PEN KNIFE
TSAERA =CHAIR
VILLA OR VILLOS = Forgot this one !!!
Just a few words that are 100% Cypriot , I included the last one just to show how unique we Cypriots are , we cant even agree with the Greeks on the correct name for the most fundamental part of our bodies , I omitted the female version due to momentary loss of ..memory but that is totally different too , means nothing to the Greeks and yet the Cypriots would walk a thousand miles for one , even risk their entire livelihood yet to the Greeks a mere nothing !!

There are plenyty of words used by TC's which are not known by Turks from Turkey..
Either these unknown words originate from Greek/Italian/Arabic or purely hybrid words created by Cypriots on the island.

KKELLE = HEAD (i believe originates from Turkish)
PROTSA =FORK (older TC's also use "Piron" which is not known in Turkey)
TSIAKKI OR TSIAKKOUI =PEN KNIFE (i believe originates from Turkish)
TSAERA =CHAIR (older TC's use "iskemle")
Table=Drabez is used by older TC's
Gate = gancelli (this one could be Latin)
bed = Gargola (karyola is used by older TC's)

far too many to list here...i have a book writen by a TC many years ago which all these words are compiled..

[kafenes]

A very interesting website I have come across lately. So many Persian words that have been adopted by Turks and then by Albanians.

http://www.iras.ir/English/Default_view ... uage+(1980)%3Cbr%3E(1)

[Kikapu]

Thanks to Deniz and Iceman for letting me know, that I forgot to include the letter "y" in Molohiya, in my previous post.!

The reason for this (i assumed) is the fact that the dish is cooked with lamb meat and "kuyruk yagi" and lamb not being as pork amongst GC's this dish never caught on.

In the old days, my mother cooked Molohiya as you described it above Iceman, including a large piece of lamb fat, "kuyruk yagi" for added flavour along with Olive Oil, and to us kids much disgust, my mother would eat the lamb fat with one swallow with great pleasure on her face as we watched in horror.

These days I use very lean beef to avoid cholesterol as much as possible. Besides, my girlfriend who likes (not loves) Molohiya and eats it every time I make it, would be very much put off if there was any visible fat on the meat. She would probably throw up if she ever saw my mother devouring lamb fat.!

[denizaksulu]

A very interesting website I have come across lately. So many Persian words that have been adopted by Turks and then by Albanians.

http://www.iras.ir/English/Default_view ... uage+(1980)%3Cbr%3E(1)

Thanks Kafenes. That was very interesting reading.

My Ottoman dictionary includes most of these Persian and Albanian words. I think it would be safe to say that 60-70% of the words are Persian derivatives. Perhaps thats why the Turkish Gov is trying to remove them(as well as Arabic) and create new words with Original Turkish roots. Its a pity though.

[Bananiot]

Does anyone know the word "hille"? The accent on the e.

Villus is a finger-like projection, in biology.

[waldorf]

I was under the opinion that "hilles" refers to a mixed up situation.
In terms of food, a kind of soup that has so many edible items in it, that is no longer runny, but more like a slow moving gelatinous substance.

[Byron]

There are also many Cypriot Greek words that are not known in Greece or have a different meaning . I will try and post a few but here is one Cypriot word, KARGOLA meaning BED where in Greece it means WHORE.
Some Cypriot words that do not exist in Greece :
KKELLE = HEAD
PROTSA =FORK
TSIAKKI OR TSIAKKOUI =PEN KNIFE
TSAERA =CHAIR
VILLA OR VILLOS = Forgot this one !!!
Just a few words that are 100% Cypriot , I included the last one just to show how unique we Cypriots are , we cant even agree with the Greeks on the correct name for the most fundamental part of our bodies , I omitted the female version due to momentary loss of ..memory but that is totally different too , means nothing to the Greeks and yet the Cypriots would walk a thousand miles for one , even risk their entire livelihood yet to the Greeks a mere nothing !!

A dialect word is a word that is pronounced differently , there is nothing dialect about villa which in Greece it means a large house !!!
Take tsaera for instance , what is the Greek for it , or protsa !!
Cem mentioned the word TCHISVE , we also call the little coffee pot the same in some villages.
I'm not trying to prove that we are not related to the mainland Greeks just to show that we have our own unique Cypriot personality with our own words taken from either Turkish , Armenian or English in some cases .
We are very much our own race , the Cypriot , is just a historical coincidence that the Greeks have the same language as the majority of us as well as the religion of the majority of Cypriots.

A dialect is not just a word that is pronounced differently, it can in certain cases be classified as another language standing on its own - Novarese Sicilian, Calabrese, Toscano, Veneto dialects are all different from Italian.
Cockney, catalan etc.........

[Cem]

There are also many Cypriot Greek words that are not known in Greece or have a different meaning . I will try and post a few but here is one Cypriot word, KARGOLA meaning BED where in Greece it means WHORE.
Some Cypriot words that do not exist in Greece :
KKELLE = HEAD
PROTSA =FORK
TSIAKKI OR TSIAKKOUI =PEN KNIFE
TSAERA =CHAIR
VILLA OR VILLOS = Forgot this one !!!
Just a few words that are 100% Cypriot , I included the last one just to show how unique we Cypriots are , we cant even agree with the Greeks on the correct name for the most fundamental part of our bodies , I omitted the female version due to momentary loss of ..memory but that is totally different too , means nothing to the Greeks and yet the Cypriots would walk a thousand miles for one , even risk their entire livelihood yet to the Greeks a mere nothing !!

Those words you quoted are dialect words, dialect words exist in almost every country

A dialect word is a word that is pronounced differently , there is nothing dialect about villa which in Greece it means a large house !!!
Take tsaera for instance , what is the Greek for it , or protsa !!
Cem mentioned the word TCHISVE , we also call the little coffee pot the same in some villages.
I'm not trying to prove that we are not related to the mainland Greeks just to show that we have our own unique Cypriot personality with our own words taken from either Turkish , Armenian or English in some cases .
We are very much our own race , the Cypriot , is just a historical coincidence that the Greeks have the same language as the majority of us as well as the religion of the majority of Cypriots.

Two years ago,I was on my way to Alphabank in a taxi I took at Ledra palace. The GC driver wanted to take a shortcut and drove into a very narrow street only to come bumper-to-bumper with a car with a female driver. He wanted to hoot her away but she did not back up. Then this guy lowered the side window and cussed at her saying "OROSPU".

Considering such nice words like "Pust" (poushto), "Pezevenk" (pezevenghis) this last one above added to greco-turkish common dictionary.