Tartar

See also: tartar, tàrtar, and tårtar

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɑː(ɹ)tə(ɹ)/

Etymology 1

From Old French Tartaire, from Medieval Latin Tartarus (“Tartar, Mongol”), from Old Turkic 𐱃𐱃𐰺, spelling influenced by Latin Tartarus (“Hell (in Greek mythology)”), from Ancient Greek Τάρταρος (Tártaros).

Noun

Tartar (plural Tartars)

1. Alternative spelling of Tatar
2. A member of the various tribes and their descendants of Tartary, such as Turks, Mongols and Manchus.
   • 1871, Marco Polo, Henry Yule (translator), The Travels of Marco Polo, book 1, chapter 13:

     Persia is a great country, which was in old times very illustrious and powerful; but now the Tartars have wasted and destroyed it.

3. (figurative, dated) A person of a keen, irritable temper.
4. (figurative) A rough or violent event.
   • 2003, Erik Larson, “Alone”, in The Devil in the White City, Vintage Books, page 106:

     I haven't escaped sickness all my life to get off easily now. […] I knew when my turn came, it would be a Tartar.

Adjective

Tartar (comparative more Tartar, superlative most Tartar)

1. Of or relating to the people or culture of Tartars.

   Tartar customs

Derived terms

• Tartar maple ()

Etymology 2

From Armenian Թարթառ (Tʻartʻaṙ).

Proper noun

Tartar

1. One of the tributary rivers of the Kura, flowing through Artsakh and Azerbaijan
2. A town in Azerbaijan located on this river

Translations

river

• Armenian: Թարթառ (hy) (Tʻartʻaṙ)
• Azerbaijani: Tərtərçay
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: Терте́р (ru) (Tertér)

town

• Armenian: Թարթառ (hy) (Tʻartʻaṙ)
• Azerbaijani: Tərtər (az)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: Терте́р (ru) (Tertér)

---

Middle French

Etymology

Old French Tartar, from Medieval Latin Tartarus, alteration of Tatar, from a Turkic name. Influenced by Tartarus (“primeval god, underworld”).

Noun

Tartar m (plural Tartars)

1. Tartar (member of various Turkic tribes)

Descendants

• French: Tartare

References

• Tartar on Dictionnaire du Moyen Français (1330–1500) (in French)