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▪ I. Tartar, Tatar, n.2 (a.)|ˈtɑːtə(r)|
Also 6 pl. Tartaries, 7, 9 Tâtar, Tahtar.
[a. F. Tartare (OF. also Tartaire, 13th c.), or ad. med.L. Tartarus, pl. Tartari, ethnic name; in Sp., Pg., It. Tartaro; Du. Tartaar, Tarter, Ger., Da. Tartar, Sw. Tartar, Tartarer; Polish Tatar, Turk., Pers. Tātār. In OF. more usually Tartarin, med.L. Tartarīnus, tartarin; cf. Russ. Tatarinu.
The original name (by which the people in question either called themselves or were designated by their neighbours) is generally held to have been, as in Persian, etc., Tātār, as to the language and meaning of which various conjectures have been put forth; but in Western Europe, they appear from the first as Tartari, Tartares, or Tartars, their name being apparently associated with Tartarus, hell. See the saying attributed by many historians to St. Louis of France a 1270, in Littré, s.v. Tartare, and a translation in quot. 1842 below. The form Tâtar and its derivatives are now often used in ethnological works in sense 1, but the long-established Tartar is always used in the derived senses, and is also held by some to have been the original name: see quot. 1885, and its context.]
A. n.2
1. A native inhabitant of the region of Central Asia extending eastward from the Caspian Sea, and formerly known as Independent and Chinese Tartary. First known in the West as applied to the mingled host of Mongols, Tartars, Turks, etc., which under the leadership of Jenghiz Khan (1202–1227) overran and devastated much of Asia and Eastern Europe; hence vaguely applied to the descendants of these now dwelling in Asia or Europe; more strictly and ethnologically, to any member of the Tâtar or Turkic branch of the Ural-Altaic or Turanian family, embracing the Turks, Cossacks, and Kirghiz Tartars. (In all these uses, but esp. the last, now often written Tatar, Tâtar.)
c1386Chaucer Sqr.'s T. 20 This noble kyng this Tartre, Cambynskan. Ibid. 258 This Tartre kyng. 1474Caxton Chesse iv. iii. (1883) 170 Therfore the tartaris haue their wyues in to the felde with hem. 1525Ld. Berners Froiss. II. ccxxiii. 363 The dealyng of the turkes and tartaries with y⊇ portes and passages of the kynges, soudans and miscreantes. 1585T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. iii. x. 86 Moores, Indians, or Tartares. 1588Parke tr. Mendoza's Hist. China 18 It [the great wall] was for his defence against the Tartaries, with whome he had warres. 1590Shakes. Mids. N. iii. ii. 101 Looke how I goe, Swifter then arrow from the Tartars bowe. 1600Hakluyt Voy. (1810) III. 55 They be like to Tartars, with long blacke haire, broad faces, and flatte noses. 1612Brerewood Lang. & Relig. (1614) 94 It is alleaged that the word Tatari, or Totari, (for so indeed they are rightly called, as learned men obserue, and not Tartari) signifieth in the Syriaque and Hebrew tongues, a Residue or Remainder such as these Tartars are supposed to bee of the Ten Tribes. 1745P. Thomas Jrnl. Anson's Voy. 241 Since the Tartars have been Emperors of China, the Lamas have succeeded the Chinese Bonzes in the Direction of Religious Affairs. 1837Carlyle Fr. Rev. III. i. i, Into the body of the poor Tatars execrative Roman History intercalated an alphabetic letter; and so they continue Tartars, of fell Tartarean nature, to this day. 1842Penny Cycl. XXIV. 73 The name of Tatar is still given to the Turkish inhabitants of southern and eastern Russia... The Tatars call themselves Turks, and feel highly offended by being called Tatars, a name which in their idiom signifies ‘robbers’. 1842tr. Let. S. Louis (a 1270) ibid., In the present danger of the Tartars either we shall push them back into the Tartarus whence they are come, or they will bring us all into heaven. 1885E. Pears Fall Constantinople 15 note, I write Tartar instead of Tatar because I agree with Dr. Koelle that the first is the form which the Tartars themselves used until they came into contact with foreigners, like the Chinese and Russians, who had changed the form of the word.
2. Transferred uses.
a. A military valet. [So in F.]
1747Gentl. Mag. Dec. 570/2, 13,421 Convents of monks..which may be called the Field regiments, and, together with the brother servitors, invalids, tartars and scullions, may amount to 160,000. 1839tr. Lamartine's Trav. 168/1 Our moukres, Tatars, and horsemen, bivouacked in the orchards.
†b. An old cant name for a strolling vagabond, a thief, a beggar. Cf. Bohemian n., gipsy n., Tartarian n. b. Obs.
1598Shakes. Merry W. iv. v. 21 Here's a Bohemian-Tartar taries the comming down of thy fat-woman: Let her descend. 1697Vanbrugh Relapse iv. vi, Here, pursue this Tartar, bring him back.
c. As an opprobrious appellation.
1590Shakes. Mids. N. iii. ii. 263 Thy loue? out tawny Tartar, out. 1828Craven Gloss., Tartar, a covetous, griping person.
3. fig.
a. A savage; a person supposed to resemble a Tartar in disposition; a rough and violent or irritable and intractable person: when applied to a female, a vixen, a shrew, a termagant.
1663Dryden Wild Gallant ii. i, I never knew your grand⁓mother was a Scotchwoman: Is she not a Tartar too? 1771Smollett Humph. Cl. (1815) 146 He is generally a tartar at bottom; a sharper, a spy, or a lunatic. 1778Johnson in Mme. D'Arblay's Diary 23 Aug., They will little think what a tartar you carry to them. 1818Byron Juan i. clxxxiv, His blood was up: though young, he was a Tartar. a1845Hood Tale of Temper i, However, cooks are generally Tartars. 1865Dickens Mut. Fr. i. viii, The old man was a awful Tartar. 1891Athenæum 11 Apr. 469/2 When provoked he proved a tartar.
b. slang. One hard to beat or surpass in skill, an adept, a ‘champion’. (Cf. slang use of ‘bully’.)
1785Grose Dict. Vulg. T. s.v., He is quite a tartar at cricket, or billiards.
4. Phrase: to catch a Tartar: to get hold of one who can neither be controlled nor got quit of; to tackle one who unexpectedly proves to be too formidable. Also in allusive expressions.
1663Butler Hud. i. iii. 865 Now thou hast got me for a Tartar, To make me 'gainst my will take quarter. 1678Dryden Kind Keeper v. i, What a Tartar have I caught! 1690J. Mackenzie Siege London-Derry 39/2 As it happily fell out, they Catcht a Tartar. 1700S. L. tr. Fryke's Voy. E. Ind. 96, I rather hug'd my self that I had let my Tartar go. 1720De Foe Capt. Singleton xvi. (1906) 260 Tell him, if he should try, he may catch a Tartar. 1725New Cant. Dict. s.v., To catch a Tartar, is said, among the Canting Varlets, when a Rogue attacks one that he thinks a Passenger, but proves to be of this Class.., who, in his Turn,..robs,..and binds him. 1850Scoresby Cheever's Whalem. Adv. vi. (1858) 80 Many an old whaler..has been compelled to give in as beaten when fast to one of these ‘North-west Tartars’ [whales]. 1897Flor. Marryat Blood Vampire xiv, You must give up flirting, my boy, or if I mistake not, you'll find you've caught a Tartar.
5. (absol. use of B.) The language of the Tartars.
1668[see Scythian n. 2]. 1862Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 1861 VII. 272 They have by some been designated the ‘Tartar’, by others the ‘Finnish’, ‘Ural-Altaic’, ‘Mongolian’, and ‘Turanian’. 1884G. Smith Short Hist. Chr. Missions ix. 109 He [Monte Corvino, 1305] translated the New Testament and Psalter into Tartar.
B. adj.
1. Of or pertaining to the people referred to in 1 above, or their country. Also noting animals, plants, etc., belonging to Tartary. Tartar bread: see Tartarian a.1 b.
1731Hist. Litteraria III. 250 He settles wherever he comes, and like a Tartar-Hord, never quits the Ground while there is a bit of green Herbage left. 1811Pinkerton Mod. Geog. (ed. 3) 346 A beautiful Tatar girl astride on a cow. 1815Elphinstone Acc. Caubul (1842) II. 202 Their features..refer them at once to the Tartar stock. 1842J. B. Fraser Mesopot. & Assyria xv. 369 There were also the shore-lark..and the Tartar lark (A[lauda] tartarica of Pallas). 1866Treas. Bot. 168/2 Tartar Bread, the fleshy root of Crambe tatarica. 1868St. Paul's Mag. July 485 Scratch an amateur actor as you would a Russian, and the Tartar vanity will come through. 1883Morfill Slavonic Lit. i. 6 The Russian language is hemmed in on..the east by Finnish and Tatar dialects.
2. fig. Tartar-like; rough and violent, savage.
1809Malkin Gil Blas ii. vii. ⁋22 Little do you fathom my character, to be deceived..by my Tartar contour! 1880J. Nicol Poems & Songs 23 The winter came with all its Tartar rigour.
C. Comb., as Tartar-like adj.; Tartar-nosed a., snub-nosed like a Tartar; tartar (‖ tartare) sauce [tr. Fr. sauce tartare], a sauce made of mayonnaise and chopped gherkins, capers, etc., usu. served with fish.
1827T. L. McKenney Tour Lakes 380 [The Chippeway Indians] Their tents and belts are all Tartar-like. 1837Boston Advert. 17 Jan. 4/4 Miss Stevens was a tartar⁓like looking lady, very long and unbending. 1855E. Acton Mod. Cookery (rev. ed.) vi. 143 Tartar sauce. (Sauce à la Tartare.)... Tartar-mustard..is to be preferred to English for this sauce. 1889C. Owen Choice Cookery 48 Tartare sauce is mayonnaise with the addition of mustard, chives, pickles, and tarragon, chopped. 1897Mrs. Rayner Type-writer Girl xiv, He..called you a Tartar-nosed imp. 1951Good Housek. Home Encycl. 677/1 Tartare Sauce..is served with fish, salads, and such vegetables as globe artichokes. 1959Good Food Guide 292 Seafood pilaf with tartare sauce. 1973‘D. Jordan’ Nile Green xxiii. 93 The waiter..nearly tipped the tartare sauce down Mara's neck.
Hence † Tartaˈresque a. Tartar (language) (obs. rare); ˈTartarism, a Tartar state or condition.
1693P. Gordon Geog. Gram. ii. vii. (1725) 184 The language of the Crim-Tartars is the Scythian or pure Tartaresque, which hath such a Resemblance to the Turkish as the Spanish to the Italian. 1892Harper's Mag. July 255/1 A line which divides the Tartarism of Russia from the civilization of Europe.
▪ II. † ˈTartar, n.4 Obs.
Also 6 Tartare.
[a. F. tartare, or ad. L. Tartarus, a. Gr. τάρταρος.]
= Tartarus; the infernal regions; hell. Also attrib.
1500–20Dunbar Poems lxxxvi. 20 Tryumphand tempill of the Trinite, That turned us fra Tartar eternall. 1590Shakes. Com. Err. iv. ii. 32. 1591 Spenser M. Hubberd 1294 His snakie wand, With which the damned ghosts he governeth, And furies rules, and Tartare tempereth. 1601Shakes. Twel. N. ii. v. 225 If you wil see it follow me. To. To the gates of Tartar, thou most excellent diuell of wit. |