IN GREEK
πατσαβούρα
patsavoura
rag; insulting word for a person
IN TURKISH
paçavra
paçavra
rag; worthless piece of cloth
WEAR THE WORD
πατσαβούρα in blue ink and paçavra in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Greek to Turkish
- STARTED IN
- Italian (via Greek)
- CATEGORY
- Household
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Both have derogatory extensions, but the specific insults differ.
COMMENTS
An editor reads every comment before it appears.
SOURCES
- Rona & Dedes (2007), Languages in Contact: Greek Loanwords in Turkish, Journal of Turkish Studies 31/II, p. 192 makale.isam.org.tr
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) ‘πατσαβούρα / paçavra’, entry 136, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/136-patsavoura/. Accessed [day month year].