IN GREEK
λίρα
lira
pound sterling; gold sovereign (χρυσή λίρα); historically the Ottoman and Turkish lira
IN TURKISH
lira
lira
lira, the Turkish currency unit
WEAR THE WORD
λίρα in blue ink and lira in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Shared from a third language
- STARTED IN
- Latin
- CATEGORY
- Trade and money
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Greek now uses it mainly for the pound and for gold sovereigns, while Turkish lira is the national currency.
- NOTES
- Italian lira, from Latin libra.
COMMENTS
An editor reads every comment before it appears.
SOURCES
- 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) ‘λίρα / lira’, entry 201, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/201-lira/. Accessed [day month year].