Tatars

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An ethnic group primarily residing in Russia and surrounding regions, known historically as Turkic-speaking nomads; members of various Tatar peoples sharing cultural and linguistic traits; people linked by descent or association with the historic Tatar identity
2. Descendants of Turkic-speaking peoples inhabiting parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, characterized by a shared heritage and traditions; individuals belonging to ethnic minorities recognized as Tatars; persons connected with the historical Tatar confederations and culture
3. A collection of Turkic-origin ethnic groups concentrated chiefly in Russia and nearby countries, united by common linguistic and cultural elements; members of the Tatar nationality; those identified with the historical Tatar groups that once influenced Eurasian history

Etymology: The most striking thing about "tatars" is that its English form was reshaped by the word "Tartar," which had a very different reputation. Medieval Europeans often confused the Tatars of Central Asia with the mythical inhabitants of Tartarus, the classical underworld, and the name shifted toward that sense. The Latin-influenced spelling "Tartar" came to carry connotations of savagery, which is why "tartar" (the mineral deposit on teeth and in wine casks) and "tartare" (as in steak tartare) share a root with it. This is a doublet pair: two English words from one source that took different routes. The ethnic name itself is older than its European forms. It comes from Old Turkic, and the English word "tatars" is simply the plural of "Tatar." Central European languages, including Czech, Slovak, and Polish, adopted the name in the form "Tatar," and Hungarian used "Tatár." These forms were borrowed as an ethnic surname for a Tatar person before English took the word.

Synonyms: Tatar people, Tatars, Turkic peoples