hizmetçi

Hizmetçi is a Turkish term that refers to a person who performs service in a household or institution. The role denotes a domestic worker or attendant who undertakes tasks such as cleaning, cooking, laundry, and general maintenance. It can describe staff employed directly by a household, in hotels, hospitals, or other service settings. The word derives from hizmet (service) with the agent suffix -çi, yielding “one who performs service.”

In usage, hizmetçi can be gender-neutral, though Turkish often relies on context. More specific terms include ev hizmetçisi (domestic worker/household servant), özel hizmetçi (private attendant), or kat hizmetlisi (floor attendant in a building). In Ottoman and later Turkish contexts, hizmetçi described palace and household staff including cooks, cleaners, stewards, and attendants.

Labor and social context: Domestic workers in Turkey may be employed directly or through agencies, and are covered by general labor law. Issues commonly discussed include wages, working hours, and social security. The terminology may carry class or historical associations, particularly in literature and film, where a hizmetçi figure can reflect servant-master relations.

See also: Domestic worker; Housemaid; Ottoman palace staff.