IN GREEK
μεράκι
meraki
deep enjoyment or loving care in doing something
IN TURKISH
merak
merak
curiosity; interest; concern
WEAR THE WORD
μεράκι in blue ink and merak in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Turkish to Greek
- STARTED IN
- Arabic
- CATEGORY
- Music and feeling
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Greek denotes loving care or passionate enthusiasm; Turkish merak primarily curiosity or concern.
COMMENTS
An editor reads every comment before it appears.
SOURCES
- Triantafyllidis, Λεξικό της Κοινής Νεοελληνικής, entry μεράκι www.greek-language.gr
- Nişanyan Sözlük, entry merak www.nisanyansozluk.com
- 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) ‘μεράκι / merak’, entry 356, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/356-meraki/. Accessed [day month year].