IN GREEK
χάλι
chali
poor state; mess
IN TURKISH
hal
hal
state; condition; manner
WEAR THE WORD
χάλι in blue ink and hal 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 typically indicates a bad condition whereas Turkish hal is neutral.
COMMENTS
An editor reads every comment before it appears.
SOURCES
- Triantafyllidis, Λεξικό της Κοινής Νεοελληνικής, entry χάλι www.greek-language.gr
- Nişanyan Sözlük, entry hal 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) ‘χάλι / hal’, entry 379, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/379-chali/. Accessed [day month year].