IN GREEK
χαφιές
chafies
informer; snitch
IN TURKISH
hafiye
hafiye
secret detective; spy
WEAR THE WORD
χαφιές in blue ink and hafiye 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 is a pejorative “informer”; Turkish hafiye may refer to a detective or spy.
COMMENTS
An editor reads every comment before it appears.
SOURCES
- Triantafyllidis, Λεξικό της Κοινής Νεοελληνικής, entry χαφιές www.greek-language.gr
- Nişanyan Sözlük, entry hafiye 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) ‘χαφιές / hafiye’, entry 283, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/283-chafies/. Accessed [day month year].