IN GREEK
χαλβάς
chalvas
halva made from tahini or semolina
IN TURKISH
helva
helva
halva dessert in multiple varieties
WEAR THE WORD
χαλβάς in blue ink and helva in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Turkish to Greek
- STARTED IN
- Arabic
- CATEGORY
- Food
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Greek colloquially also calls a weak willed person a χαλβάς.
COMMENTS
An editor reads every comment before it appears.
SOURCES
- Triantafyllidis, Lexiko tis Koinis Neoellinikis, entry χαλβάς www.greek-language.gr
- Nişanyan Sözlük (checked online)
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) ‘χαλβάς / helva’, entry 093, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/093-chalvas/. Accessed [day month year].