IN GREEK
μακαρόνι
makaroni
pasta; macaroni
IN TURKISH
makarna
makarna
pasta generally
WEAR THE WORD
μακαρόνι in blue ink and makarna in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Shared from a third language
- STARTED IN
- Italian (possibly influenced by earlier Greek)
- CATEGORY
- Food
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Turkish makarna is a generic term for pasta, while Greek μακαρόνι commonly names specific pasta strands or shapes.
- NOTES
- Greek dictionary discusses possible Greek to Venetian reborrowing, so ultimate origin is debated
COMMENTS
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SOURCES
- Triantafyllidis, Lexiko tis Koinis Neoellinikis, entry μακαρόνι www.greek-language.gr
- Nişanyan Sözlük, entry makarna 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) ‘μακαρόνι / makarna’, entry 036, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/036-makaroni/. Accessed [day month year].