IN GREEK
σεβντάς
sevntas
lovesickness, amorous longing
IN TURKISH
sevda
sevda
love, passion
WEAR THE WORD
σεβντάς in blue ink and sevda 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 keeps a melancholic sense of pining; Turkish is the general word for passionate love.
- NOTES
- Dated in Greek, now mostly in songs; ultimately from Arabic sawdāʾ, black bile, melancholy.
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) ‘σεβντάς / sevda’, entry 372, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/372-sevntas/. Accessed [day month year].