A borrowing from Italian. Its first meaning is similar to a work or school canteen where you can buy tea, coffee, soft drinks, sandwiches or a pie. Basically, a synonym of κυλικείο. However, it is now mainly used to refer to the mobile food/drinks van as in the picture.
Hunting for Greek words can also take you down surprising lexical alleyways. Apparently, advanced learners of Greek are expected to know when to nasalise correctly. For example, in the early stages of learning we are expected to know that words beginning with μπ and ντ are pronounced like /b/ and /d/ respectively; in the middle of words, we are taught to pronounce μπ and ντ as mb and nd. However, it is not quite so simple. A lot depends on how and from where a borrowing entered Greek. For example, μπ in έμπορος is ’emboros’ (a good Greek word!), whereas for σόμπα we say soba, as it is a borrowing from Turkish.
Let’s have a little look at ντ in the βεντέτα. Do we pronounce it ‘vedetta’ or ‘vendetta’? Strictly speaking both are possible. If we are talking about a celebrity, it should be ‘vedetta’ (French ‘vedette’). If we are referring to a feud, it should be pronounced ‘vendetta’ as it it comes from the Italian.
What does this have to do with καντίνα, you may ask? Those lexical alleyways I referred to earlier. In Crete, when it was under Turkish control, a καντίνα (pronounced kadina) referred to the wife of a Muslim (Turkish ‘kadin’ = woman). Needless to say, what is expected of C2/Γ2 learners of Greek is all over the place in real life. One of my wife’s pet hates is the needless insertion of μ by TV presenters who say Οκτώμβριος instead of Οκτώβριος.
Finally, and still on the theme of alleyways, this amusing article on the woes of running a food truck contains little gems like μυρώνι (chervil) and καυκαλήθρα (Mediterranean hartwort). You will also learn of a dish that I am going to look out for: γκεζλεμές. Aside from the food, he also addresses the lack of legal clarity Greeks face when setting up a business. https://popaganda.gr/table/food-truck-paranomi-kantina-tous-gkezlemedes/
