IN GREEK
χαμάλης
chamalis
porter; heavy labourer
IN TURKISH
hamal
hamal
porter; baggage carrier
WEAR THE WORD
χαμάλης in blue ink and hamal 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 adds the figurative sense of a crude, uncouth person.
COMMENTS
An editor reads every comment before it appears.
SOURCES
- Triantafyllidis, Λεξικό της Κοινής Νεοελληνικής, entry χαμάλης www.greek-language.gr
- Nişanyan Sözlük, entry hamal www.nisanyansozluk.com
- 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) ‘χαμάλης / hamal’, entry 232, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/232-chamalis/. Accessed [day month year].