IN GREEK
μαντίλι
mantili
handkerchief; headscarf
IN TURKISH
mendil
mendil
handkerchief
WEAR THE WORD
μαντίλι in blue ink and mendil in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Shared from a third language
- STARTED IN
- Latin
- CATEGORY
- Clothing
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Greek also uses it for a headscarf.
- NOTES
- Greek from Latin mantele via Byzantine μανδήλιον; Turkish via Arabic mindīl. Whether the Arabic form came through Greek or Aramaic is debated.
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) ‘μαντίλι / mendil’, entry 387, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/387-mantili/. Accessed [day month year].