Hi,

Please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zubaida.

Apparently Zubaida means "a Little Butter Ball". How can I express this in Turkish?

This is of interest to me as we have just bought a big butter ball at the local market. Perhaps it's the traditional shape for butter...

Best

Simon

 

I don't know any specific name for a little butter ball... But Zubaida is very close to the turkish name Zübeyde btw. According to TDK (official language institution), Zübeyde comes from Arab and means pure. So the connection is not easy to make with butter

 

Many thanks, truly very useful indeed, but how would I say 'little butter ball' in the literal sense, please? I.e. a small, round dollop of butter?

 

first of all "zubaida" isn't a turkish word but an arabic word! we use it as a name without meaning. in fact we used to use it.

and about "little butter ball";
if you are talking about "butter", I mean "real butter", you can use;
"bir parça tereyağı" : it means "a piece of butter"
"bir top tereyağı" : it means "a butter ball"
"bir kalıp tereyağı" : it means... I don't know how can explain this!
"bir paket tereyağı" : it means "a packet of butter"

tereyağı means butter, as you see!
...

 

Many thanks, very clear indeed.

 

You may use "topak" which means "little globularized mass" in this context in the form "yağ topağı" without a need for clarifying it by "tere". "Yağ topağı" directly understood as " Little Butter Ball" and already used at such contexts. Some other usages are:
Peynir topağı A small cheese ball
Şeker topağı A small sugar ball
Sevgi topağı A small love ball (used for beloved human and pet).

 

Marvellous - most enlightening.