-τζής

Greek

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish ـجی (-ci).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈd͡zis/

Suffix

-τζής • (-tzís) m (feminine -τζού)

1. added to a noun, to create words for a male person who has an occupation related to that noun:

   ‎ταξί (taxí, “taxi”) + ‎-τζής (-tzís) → ‎ταξιτζής (taxitzís, “taxi driver”)

   ‎παλιά (paliá, “old stuff”) + ‎-τζής (-tzís) → ‎παλιατζής (paliatzís, “junk dealer”)

   ‎καφές (kafés, “coffee”) + ‎-τζής (-tzís) → ‎καφετζής (kafetzís, “cafe owner”)

2. added to a noun, to create words for a male person who has does something related to that noun:

   ‎πλάκα (pláka, “joke, fun”) + ‎-τζής (-tzís) → ‎πλακατζής (plakatzís, “joker”)

   ‎καβγάς (kavgás, “fight”) + ‎-τζής (-tzís) → ‎καβγατζής (kavgatzís, “brawler”)

Usage notes

Some of these words are taken whole directly from Turkish, eg μπογιατζής (bogiatzís, “painter”) < boyacı, while others are neologisms made from joining Greek nouns onto this suffix, eg παλιά (paliá, “old (stuff)”) > παλιατζής (paliatzís, “junk dealer”).

Declension

Declension of -τζής

	singular	plural
nominative	-τζής •	-τζήδες •
genitive	-τζή •	-τζήδων •
accusative	-τζή •	-τζήδες •
vocative	-τζή •	-τζήδες •

Derived terms

• -τζίδικο n (-tzídiko) (place where the above occupations take place)

Greek terms suffixed with -τζής