IN GREEK
νταής
ntais
bully, tough guy
IN TURKISH
dayı
dayı
maternal uncle; also a respected tough man in slang
WEAR THE WORD
νταής in blue ink and dayı in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Turkish to Greek
- STARTED IN
- Turkish
- CATEGORY
- People and family
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Greek has only the sense of bully; in Turkish the primary meaning is maternal uncle.
COMMENTS
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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) ‘νταής / dayı’, entry 264, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/264-ntais/. Accessed [day month year].