IN GREEK
μαγιά
magia
yeast; starter; figuratively seed capital
IN TURKISH
maya
maya
yeast; ferment; essence or basis
WEAR THE WORD
μαγιά in blue ink and maya in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Turkish to Greek
- STARTED IN
- Persian
- CATEGORY
- Food
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Greek also uses μαγιά for seed capital or the initial stock of something.
COMMENTS
An editor reads every comment before it appears.
SOURCES
- Triantafyllidis, Lexiko tis Koinis Neoellinikis, entry μαγιά www.greek-language.gr
- Nişanyan Sözlük, entry maya www.nisanyansozluk.com
Etymologies are checked against the dictionaries and studies listed. An entry is stamped settled only when both the Greek and the Turkish side have been checked. Research for this ledger was compiled with AI assistance and reviewed by the editors.
HOW TO CITE THIS ENTRY
Gold, K. (ed.) (2026) ‘μαγιά / maya’, entry 035, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/035-magia/. Accessed [day month year].