IN GREEK
χαΐνης
chainis
rogue, scoundrel; historically an outlaw rebel
IN TURKISH
hain
hain
traitor
WEAR THE WORD
χαΐνης in blue ink and hain in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Turkish to Greek
- STARTED IN
- Arabic
- CATEGORY
- People and family
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Greek means a rogue or outlaw, especially in Cretan history; Turkish keeps the sense of traitor.
- NOTES
- The outlaw sense is mainly Cretan.
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) ‘χαΐνης / hain’, entry 280, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/280-chainis/. Accessed [day month year].