χαμίνι

Greek

Etymology

Borrowed from French gamin. First attested in the 1862 Greek translation by Ioannis-Isidoridis Skylitsis of Les Miserables (by Victor Hugo). Apparently, a translation‑neologism, [g] > [x] instead of [γ], trying to avoid the derogatory *γαμίνι, or intended to remind of χαμένο (“lost”). [1]

Noun

χαμίνι • (chamíni) n (plural χαμίνια)

  1. street urchin, guttersnipe

Declension
declension of χαμίνι
singular plural
nominative χαμίνι • χαμίνια •
genitive χαμινιού • χαμινιών •
accusative χαμίνι • χαμίνια •
vocative χαμίνι • χαμίνια •

Synonyms

References
  1. χαμίνι in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], 1998, by the "Triantafyllidis" Foundation.
    In other sources, first attested in 1845.
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