Name of Turkey
Encyclopedia
The English
for Turkey is derived via Old French Turquie from the Medieval Latin
Turchia, Turquia, Greek
Τουρκια. It is first used in Middle English
(as turkye, torke, later Turkie, Turky), attested in Chaucer, ca. 1369.
The Greek and Latin terms were mostly synonymous with Tartary
, including Khazaria and the other khaganates of the Central Asian steppe, until the appearance of the Seljuks and the rise of the Ottoman Empire
in the 14th century, reflecting the progress of the Turkic expansion.
By contrast, the Persian derivation Turkestan
remains mostly applied to Central Asia. Modern Persian itself with ترکیه chooses a derivation with the Arabic nisba suffix. The name for Turkey in the Turkish language
, Türkiye also contains the nisba, as -iye.
Icelandic with Tyrkland and Hungarian with Törökország "Turk-land" use native forms of derivation.
The name is derived from the ethnic self-designation türk.
This ethnic designation finds early attestation in the form of "tie-le" (铁勒) or "tu-jue" (突厥), name given by the Chinese
to the people living south of the Altay Mountains
of Central Asia
as early as 177 BC;
The first known mention of the term türk applied to a Turkic group
was in reference to the Göktürks
in the 6th century. A letter by Ishbara Qaghan
to Emperor Wen of Sui
in 585 described him as "the Great Turk Khan." The Orhun inscriptions
(735 CE) use the terms Turk and Turuk.
The first recorded direct use of the term "Türk" or "Türük" as an autonym is attested in the Orkhon inscriptions
of the Köktürks (Blue Turks) of Central Asia (c. 8th century).
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
for Turkey is derived via Old French Turquie from the Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors,...
Turchia, Turquia, Greek
Medieval Greek
Medieval Greek, also known as Byzantine Greek, is the stage of the Greek language between the beginning of the Middle Ages around 600 and the Ottoman conquest of the city of Constantinople in 1453. The latter date marked the end of the Middle Ages in Southeast Europe...
Τουρκια. It is first used in Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
(as turkye, torke, later Turkie, Turky), attested in Chaucer, ca. 1369.
The Greek and Latin terms were mostly synonymous with Tartary
Tartary
Tartary or Great Tartary was a name used by Europeans from the Middle Ages until the twentieth century to designate the Great Steppe, that is the great tract of northern and central Asia stretching from the Caspian Sea and the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean inhabited mostly by Turkic, Mongol...
, including Khazaria and the other khaganates of the Central Asian steppe, until the appearance of the Seljuks and the rise of the Ottoman Empire
Rise of the Ottoman Empire
The Foundation and Rise of the Ottoman Empire refers to the period which started with the weakening of the Seljuq Sultanate of Rûm in the very early 14th century and ended with the Byzantine Empire decline and the Fall of Constantinople on May 29, 1453.The rise of the Ottomans correlates with the...
in the 14th century, reflecting the progress of the Turkic expansion.
By contrast, the Persian derivation Turkestan
Turkestan
Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
remains mostly applied to Central Asia. Modern Persian itself with ترکیه chooses a derivation with the Arabic nisba suffix. The name for Turkey in the Turkish language
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
, Türkiye also contains the nisba, as -iye.
Icelandic with Tyrkland and Hungarian with Törökország "Turk-land" use native forms of derivation.
The name is derived from the ethnic self-designation türk.
This ethnic designation finds early attestation in the form of "tie-le" (铁勒) or "tu-jue" (突厥), name given by the Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
to the people living south of the Altay Mountains
Altay Mountains
The Altai Mountains are a mountain range in East-Central Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob have their sources. The Altai Mountains are known as the original locus of the speakers of Turkic as well as other members of the proposed...
of Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
as early as 177 BC;
The first known mention of the term türk applied to a Turkic group
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
was in reference to the Göktürks
Göktürks
The Göktürks or Kök Türks, were a nomadic confederation of peoples in medieval Inner Asia. Known in Chinese sources as 突厥 , the Göktürks under the leadership of Bumin Qaghan The Göktürks or Kök Türks, (Old Turkic: Türük or Kök Türük or Türük; Celestial Turks) were a nomadic confederation of...
in the 6th century. A letter by Ishbara Qaghan
Ishbara Qaghan
Ishbara Qaghan was the first son of Issik Qaghan, grandson of Bumin Qaghan, and the fifth khagan of the first...
to Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
in 585 described him as "the Great Turk Khan." The Orhun inscriptions
Orkhon inscriptions
"Orkhon inscription" may refer to:*two monuments in the Orkhon valley, see Khöshöö Tsaidam Monuments*inscriptions in the Old Turkic "Orkhon alphabet" in general, see Old Turkic epigraphy...
(735 CE) use the terms Turk and Turuk.
The first recorded direct use of the term "Türk" or "Türük" as an autonym is attested in the Orkhon inscriptions
Orkhon inscriptions
"Orkhon inscription" may refer to:*two monuments in the Orkhon valley, see Khöshöö Tsaidam Monuments*inscriptions in the Old Turkic "Orkhon alphabet" in general, see Old Turkic epigraphy...
of the Köktürks (Blue Turks) of Central Asia (c. 8th century).