Cyprus-Forum.com

[DT.]

Milt, a prostitute in Greek is Kariolla not Kargola which we use for bed.

Plus, tchaera is only used in paphos which is the bermuda triangle of language anyway. WOrds go in and ghosts come out. Tchaera in the rest of Cyprus is the kettle.

There are other differences between Limassol and Nicosia as well. Limassolians say Chanta for handbag and we say tsenta. Tepsoui for ashtray and we say tasaki or tapsaki.

I do have a theory on our most famous word of all, the mighty Fougou (bbq that souvla is cooked on). I'm thinking some english soldier in the early 20th century kept busting the Cypriots balls asking if the Foods Cooked yet on the BBQ.

Conversation could have gone something like this

English soldier: Oi, Spick!! Is that bloody food cooked yet?
Cypriot: Eh?
English soldier: IS THE FOOD COOKED, (bloody aboriginie )
Cypriot: Gamo ton shisto sou re pezevenki pou en na mou peis fud cuk!
English soldier: FOOOOOOOD COOOOOOOKED???
Cypriot: Aman pikso touton to fookoo mes ton kolon sou en na sou po ego.

ANd thus we have the Fougou (food cook)

You should be in my "Big Fat Greek Wedding II - The Cypriot Cousins".

If you ever meet my family you will realise that they ARE the ORIGINAL's.


You don't like meat? Is ok, we have lamb!

[denizaksulu]

This has gone too quiet, so I would just like to mention that good old Turkish place name, Istanbul.

A very Turkish name 'Ankara/Angora/Ankyra

[denizaksulu]

I think I owe you an answer. The word "hille" is used quite widely, especially by older Cypriots, to denote that something fishy took place, that a lie was used to gain advantage. I was told by someone and I have not looked into this that the name Achilleas means without a lie. In other words: A=without and chilli=lie.

If so, the word "hille" has ancient roots, long forgotten in Greece.

Hile is treachery in Turkish. Is it possibly non-Turkish. I doubt it.

[Bananiot]

Oh dear, here goes my theory. Never mind, I can easily revise my thoughts. It sounds as though it is Turkish, like so many other words we use, especially the "bad" ones.

[iceman]

I think I owe you an answer. The word "hille" is used quite widely, especially by older Cypriots, to denote that something fishy took place, that a lie was used to gain advantage. I was told by someone and I have not looked into this that the name Achilleas means without a lie. In other words: A=without and chilli=lie.

If so, the word "hille" has ancient roots, long forgotten in Greece.

Hile is treachery in Turkish. Is it possibly non-Turkish. I doubt it.

Deniz
I do not think "hile" is treachery..
"treachery" is,
1. violation of faith; betrayal of trust; treason.
2. an act of perfidy, faithlessness, or treason.

"hile" is more like,
Cheat,trick

[Kikapu]

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.

This may be the kind of thing you are looking for:

http://www.kibris.org/Cyprus/words.txt

although it is not entirely accurate because, for example, it claims that one of my favourite TC words "beytambal" is of Greek/Cypriot Greek origin, when in fact it derives from the Arabic "beyt ul-mal" meaning the "state treasury". As I understand it, if something is broken or useless, you say "beytambal galsın", i.e. let it pass to the state treasury because it is no use to anybody else (if I have correctly understood the use of this expression).

Tim
We do not use beytambal in the manner you described.
It is an expression used to refuse something but not because it is useless..Its a refusal term with a curse ..(as if to say "Fuck it")

@Tim,

This may be the kind of thing you are looking for:

http://www.kibris.org/Cyprus/words.txt

No, not really Tim. Halil posted few full pages of Turkish/Greek words that were very similar in writing, and presumably, in speaking also.

@ Iceman,

"beytambal galsın"

As well as having meanings "Who needs it" as in "The hell with it" or as you very delicately put it, "Fuck it".!

[Tim Drayton]

I think I owe you an answer. The word "hille" is used quite widely, especially by older Cypriots, to denote that something fishy took place, that a lie was used to gain advantage. I was told by someone and I have not looked into this that the name Achilleas means without a lie. In other words: A=without and chilli=lie.

If so, the word "hille" has ancient roots, long forgotten in Greece.

Hile is treachery in Turkish. Is it possibly non-Turkish. I doubt it.

It came to Turkish from Arabic according to the Turkish Language Institute dictionary.

[denizaksulu]

I think I owe you an answer. The word "hille" is used quite widely, especially by older Cypriots, to denote that something fishy took place, that a lie was used to gain advantage. I was told by someone and I have not looked into this that the name Achilleas means without a lie. In other words: A=without and chilli=lie.

If so, the word "hille" has ancient roots, long forgotten in Greece.

Hile is treachery in Turkish. Is it possibly non-Turkish. I doubt it.

It came to Turkish from Arabic according to the Turkish Language Institute dictionary.

Sorry. I did not check out its etymology.

[Bananiot]

So, it could be the Arabs took it from the ancient Greeks. Shouldn't we be one happy big family instead of killing each other like morons?

[denizaksulu]

So, it could be the Arabs took it from the ancient Greeks. Shouldn't we be one happy big family instead of killing each other like morons?

Its a pity we never had that second meeting. I like your style.