IN GREEK
σαράφης
sarafis
money changer, moneylender; figuratively a money grabber
IN TURKISH
sarraf
sarraf
dealer in gold and currency, money changer
WEAR THE WORD
σαράφης in blue ink and sarraf in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Turkish to Greek
- STARTED IN
- Arabic
- CATEGORY
- Trade and money
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Greek carries a pejorative sense of a usurer, while Turkish sarraf is a neutral trade.
- NOTES
- Arabic ṣarrāf.
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) ‘σαράφης / sarraf’, entry 219, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/219-sarafis/. Accessed [day month year].