# Greek etymology question: Mousafiris **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-etymology-question-mousafiris/515025 "2009-10-25T02:39:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-etymology-question-mousafiris/515025/1 "2009-10-25T02:39:37Z")
I’m trying to find a useful description of the meaning and etymology of the Greek word “μουσαφίρης” (mousafiris), but so far I haven’t had much luck. Every translation tool and online English-Greek dictionary that knows about the word says it means “guest” or “visitor,” so I feel confident in that much. But searching the dictionaries for guest or visitor in English turn up a lot of other words as well. [Google’s Dictionary](http://www.google.com/dictionary?source=translation&hl=en&q=guest&langpair=en%7Cel), for example, offers: > [@](#): > > 1. επισκέπτης > 2. καλεσμένος > 3. προσκαλεσμένος > 4. φιλοξενούμενος > 5. προσκεκλημένος > 6. ξενιζόμενος > 7. μουσαφίρης So I’m wondering what specific flavor of meaning might be associated with the word “mousafiris.” Does it have anything to do with the Muses, as the root “μουσα” would seem to suggest? Any Dopers up on their Greek out there who happen to know? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-etymology-question-mousafiris/515025/2 "2009-10-25T03:20:21Z")
Well, μουσα in Ancient Greek is “muse,” later “music, song.” Ancient φερω “I bear, bring, present, give.” So perhaps: “bringer of song,” probably in the sense of “entertainment” or else maybe “news.” I’m just guessing: no actual knowledge here! I seem to recall that ε \> ι is a regular Ancient to Modern Greek sound change; at any rate there are no φιρ- words in my Anc. Gr. dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-etymology-question-mousafiris/515025/3 "2009-10-25T03:40:06Z")
Or not. Seems to be from Arabic, I’d guess by way of Turkish. Arabic \*musafir \*: traveller [_safara_] Alb _mysafir_, Gre _mousafires_, Hin _musafir_, Ind _musafir_, Per _mosafer_, Rom _musafir_, Swa _msafiri_, Tat _mosafir_, Tur _misafir_, Uzb _musofir_ \*Safara \* apparently means “travel”: [Sem s-p-r, Mal _siefer_, Amh \*seffere \*(encamp)] I know nothing about Arabic; info from here [http://etymological.freeweb.hu/AEDweb.htm](http://etymological.freeweb.hu/AEDweb.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-etymology-question-mousafiris/515025/4 "2009-10-25T06:31:04Z")
So “traveler” would probably be closer to the ancient meaning? I suppose the “Muse” connection is just a happy coincidence as well. Thanks for digging that up! ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-etymology-question-mousafiris/515025/5 "2009-10-25T11:44:33Z")
A warning from a native greek speaker: The word μουσαφίρης is rather dated and in modern Greek it is mostly used to refer jokingly to an unwanted visitor. If not sure about the context, the safest word to use would be επισκέπτης. ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-etymology-question-mousafiris/515025/6 "2009-10-25T18:50:23Z")
Well, it should be okay; I’m not trying to write anything in modern Greek. I’m writing a story that makes use of some Greek names and words, and I just wanted to have a better understanding of the etymology and connotations so that I don’t inadvertently create any awkward meanings. 😛 Thanks for your perspective though; that info is very helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-etymology-question-mousafiris/515025/7 "2009-10-25T18:53:27Z")
If you need any further help don’t hesitate to PM or e-mail me 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-etymology-question-mousafiris/515025/8 "2009-10-25T18:59:59Z")
Thanks; I’ll definitely keep you in mind if I come up with any other questions. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-etymology-question-mousafiris/515025/9 "2009-10-26T05:00:03Z")
Just my USD 0.02. Musafir = traveller in Hindi also , which IMHO came from Turkish invaders or Arab traders.