κάργα – adverb = completely or fully
I heard this on the radio when I was in Athens a few days ago.
With regard to liquids, it means ‘to the brim’ as in Τα ποτήρια ήταν κάργα κρασί = The wine glasses were filled to the brim. Synonyms are φίσκα and τίγκα.
By extension, it means very much, completely, fully as in
Είμαι κάργα = I’m stuffed (with food)
Είμαι κάργα ερωτευμένος = I’m totally in love.
My favourite site for Greek words www.slang.gr gives this example for chatting up foreign women:
Greek kid: – Αϊ λάβ γιού κάργα, ντού γιού λάβ μί καμπόσο;
Tourist: – Excuse me;
Greek kid: – Τι εξκιούζ και ξεσκιούζ μωρή χαμούρα.
Not very nice!
Κάργα came into Greek from the Venetian dialect: carga = a load, cargar = to load (cf the French charger). There is also a verb: καργάρω.
κάργα interesting research!!!
I thought that κάργα is somehow of Turkish origin, with no apparent reason, maybe because of the sound of [ργ] combined with [κα] which reminds at least to me (a) a rather Turkish sound palette (b) so so so many Greek names starting with [καρα-] which in Turkish is black.
So κάργα – καρα/some/name fit well and non consciously κάργα sounded to me “Turkishing”….
Hi Petro,
I am beginning to learn that there are gaps in the Babiniotis dictionary. There is no mention of the noun η κάργα. However, – according to Βικιλεξικό – κάργα is a variant of η κάργια, a synonym for καλοιακούδα (new spelling καλιακούδα), a kind of jackdaw or calculating, jealous woman.
There is indeed a Turkish connection. This is the second definition (in Βικιλεξικό) of κάργα, and maybe (given the colouring of the bird’s plumage) there is a connection with ‘kara’, the Turkish for black.
κάργα (ουσιαστικό) < (άμεσο δάνειο) τουρκική karga Ουσιαστικό[επεξεργασία] κάργα θηλυκό • άλλη μορφή του κάργια ※ Θάνατος είναι οι κάργες που χτυπιούνται / στους μαύρους τοίχους και στα κεραμίδια (Κώστας Καρυωτάκης, Πρέβεζα)