IN GREEK
μελτέμι
meltemi
etesian, strong dry summer north wind of the Aegean
IN TURKISH
meltem
meltem
gentle sea breeze
WEAR THE WORD
μελτέμι in blue ink and meltem in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Turkish to Greek
- STARTED IN
- Italian (uncertain)
- CATEGORY
- Places
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Greek uses it for the strong summer etesian; Turkish for a mild pleasant breeze.
- NOTES
- Origin disputed: Greek is generally taken from Turkish meltem, but the Turkish word itself has been linked to Italian or Venetian expressions such as bel tempo or mal tempo; no consensus. Nişanyan tentatively derives meltem from Italian mal tempo, bad weather, and marks this uncertain.
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) ‘μελτέμι / meltem’, entry 311, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/311-meltemi/. Accessed [day month year].