The words meraki and meraklis

You who listen to rebetiko you hear often the words "meraki" and "meraklis". They are two simple but at the same time two complicate and significant meanings.
Take for example the sentence:
he has a big meraki for rebetiko
ehei megalo meraki me to rebetiko
έχει μεγάλο μεράκι με το ρεμπέτικο

Α common explanation could be "he likes rebetiko very much" but it is superficial.
The word is Turkish so you can try http://seslisozluk.com/
Turkish-English lexicon. Write each one word and click on "ara" (search)


If you already did it perhaps you got into a panic as I did...

Now you get another example from my DICTIONARY OF REBETIKO which is going to be published in Greek, during the autumn 2008.

I' m sorry for a bad translation...


meraklis o, -ou, meraklidissa, subst.[+](turkish merakli= a human being who is after the knowledge, is attentive and has an alert state of mind.) 1. somebody who has roots in his tradition, is experienced and attentive and knows, both consciously and perceively the sensible balance among things, human beings and phenomena (ZAHOS) A kind of popular philosopher : "Το γιασεμί στην πόρτα σου, μερακλή (see entry) μου, ήρθα να στο κλαδέψω, σεβνταλή (see entry) μου""εγώ' μαι βρε μιά μερακλού και θέλω μάγκα γιαβουκλού"(see entry)"η μικρή μου γκομενίτσα(see entry), μερακλίδισσα η μουσίτσα(see entry), ήξερε ποιά είν' ωραία (see ωραία) και με ήθελε κουρέα"2. in connection to wishes and abilities. The one who is looking for qualities, even in lifes' simple pleasures, as in making cofee or preparing something which can give satisfaction(in connection to mood and erotic relations) good mood, love sorrow: "όποιος δεν είναι μερακλής να πάει να πεθάνει γιατί στον κόσμο όπου ζει, μόνο τον τόπο πιάνει"( = καταλαμβάνει)3. free use of the word, always in connection to the above named meanings: "και όταν μπαίνω στον τεκέ (see entry) βλέπω τρία μεράκια, τρεις κοπέλλες όμορφες να πίνουν τσιμπουκάκια (see entry)meraklidikos, i, o, adj.[+]: "μερακλίδικο παιδί""παπούτσια μερακλίδικα από τα παλιατζίδικα πήγαινε και κανόνιζε, δυό ζευγαράκια ψώνιζε"meraklono, meraklonomai v.[+]come into good mood, feel nostalgic: "όταν παίζω ταξιμάκι (see entry) μερακλώνω, την πατρίδα μου θυμάμαι κι όλο λειώνω""πάντοτε μερακλώνω γιά τα χειλάκια σου και τα ναζάκια (see entry) σου και τη ζωή μου δίνω""να μερακλωθεί κι ο Χάρος και ν' αρχίσει το χορό"meraklidika, adv.[+]


Less panic though the Greek examples from rebetiko verses?
The coming post "The meaning of consolation in rebetiko" is directly connected to the two words of this post and a deeper "diving" into the heart...