IN GREEK
φιντάνι
fidani
sapling; promising young person
IN TURKISH
fidan
fidan
sapling; young tree
WEAR THE WORD
φιντάνι in blue ink and fidan in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Turkish to Greek
- STARTED IN
- Greek (medieval)
- CATEGORY
- Other
- HOW THE MEANING DRIFTED
- Greek figuratively applies the word to young people.
- NOTES
- Historical derivation in Turkish is disputed; check Persian/Greek alternatives.
COMMENTS
An editor reads every comment before it appears.
SOURCES
- Triantafyllidis, Λεξικό της Κοινής Νεοελληνικής, entry φιντάνι www.greek-language.gr
- Nişanyan Sözlük, entry fidan www.nisanyansozluk.com
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) ‘φιντάνι / fidan’, entry 427, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/427-fidani/. Accessed [day month year].