IN GREEK
σαΐνι
saini
clever person; whizz
IN TURKISH
şahin
şahin
falcon
WEAR THE WORD
σαΐνι in blue ink and şahin in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Turkish to Greek
- STARTED IN
- Persian
- CATEGORY
- People and family
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Greek chiefly means an unusually quick witted person; Turkish şahin names a hawk or falcon.
COMMENTS
An editor reads every comment before it appears.
SOURCES
- Triantafyllidis, Λεξικό της Κοινής Νεοελληνικής, entry σαΐνι www.greek-language.gr
- Nişanyan Sözlük, entry şahin www.nisanyansozluk.com
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) ‘σαΐνι / şahin’, entry 269, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/269-saini/. Accessed [day month year].