IN GREEK
τενεκετζής
teneketzis
tinsmith; figuratively a bungler
IN TURKISH
tenekeci
tenekeci
tinsmith
WEAR THE WORD
τενεκετζής in blue ink and tenekeci in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Turkish to Greek
- STARTED IN
- Turkish
- CATEGORY
- Trade and money
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Greek adds a figurative sense of a careless or incompetent worker.
- NOTES
- Turkish teneke, tin plate, with ci; the origin of teneke itself is disputed, with a Persian source proposed. Nişanyan has no entry for tenekeci.
COMMENTS
An editor reads every comment before it appears.
SOURCES
- General etymological consensus
- to verify
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) ‘τενεκετζής / tenekeci’, entry 225, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/225-teneketzis/. Accessed [day month year].