# Words for black



## Ben Jamin

Hello!
I do not speak Turkish, and only understand a few words. I looked up the word Black in a dictionary, and got following equivalents:
1  karanlik  
2  гара [gara]  
3  zenci  
4  kara  
5  siyah  
Most languages have one or two words for black, as the color has no shades, so the number of 5 words was a surprise.
I knew before the word Kara, from Kara Deniz, and thought that would be the main antry for Black. Could anyone tell me what are the shades of meaning for the mentioned 5 words?


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## Rallino

*Black = siyah = kara*

*Siyah* is used more often. Kara is a little more poetic.  They're synonyms.

*Zenci* is a black person.

*Karanlık* is darkness

*Rapa *isn't even in my dictionary,  which dictionary are you using?

*Gara* is dialect for _Kara_


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## macrotis

Rallino said:


> *Rapa *isn't even in my dictionary,  which dictionary are you using?



It might be *arap*. When the context is about color(s), this word means black.


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## macrotis

There are two other words I know: *kuzguni *("pitch dark" from *kuzgun *"raven") and *yağız* (as the skin color is darkened by the sun. it also figuratively means "brave," and this meaning pervades).


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## Outsider

Rallino said:


> *Rapa *isn't even in my dictionary,  which dictionary are you using?


It's written in Cyrillic. The pronunciation is Gara.


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## Rallino

Outsider said:


> It's written in Cyrillic. The pronunciation is Gara.



Ooooh Parabéns! That makes sense now hehe


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## Ben Jamin

Rallino said:


> *Black = siyah = kara*
> *Siyah* is used more often. Kara is a little more poetic. They're synonyms.
> 
> *Zenci* is a black person.
> 
> *Karanlık* is darkness
> 
> *Rapa *isn't even in my dictionary, which dictionary are you using?
> 
> *Gara* is dialect for _Kara_


thanks to all contributors, teşekkür ederim!
I know that the ending "-ci" denotes a person, but where does Zen- come from?


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## namik80

The word "zen" has no meaning in Turkish. In Persian that means; "woman". So; what we have now? (related with the "zenci")
1) black person
2) woman
May be, this word came out from slave-trading times. Black person who sold woman slaves called as "zenci". (just a personal opinion!)


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## er targyn

http://www.nisanyansozluk.com/?k=zenci


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