Tajikn.adj.

1815 M. Elphinstone Acct. Kingdom Caubul ii. xii. 309 It has been observed, that there is scarcely any part of Afghaunistaun in which the whole population is Afghaun, and that the mixture is composed of Taujiks in the West, and of Hindkees in the East.

1836 Penny Cycl. V. 71/2 The Tadjicks consider themselves as the aborigines of the country [sc. Bokhara], and as the descendants of the ancient Sogdi and Bactrians.

1845 Encycl. Metrop. XVI. 47/2 The language of the Tájics..is that most spoken at Bukhárà.

1871 R. B. Shaw Visits to High Tartary ii. 26 All the Khokandees whom I met with in Eastern Toorkistân agreed in affirming that Sart is merely a word used by the Kirghiz to denote all who do not lead a nomad existence like themselves, whether they be Tajiks or Oosbeks.

1902 Encycl. Brit. XXX. 41/1 The Sarts and the Tajiks, who are the best agriculturalists and the tradespeople.

1920 Christian World 26 Aug. 9/2 The fanatical Tadjiks and Sarts of that portion of Turkestan.

1949 F. Maclean Eastern Approaches i. x. 152 I had no sooner got to sleep than they dug me in the ribs and introduced themselves as Tajiks.

1970 Times 24 Mar. 7/1 The least emancipated women seem to be found among the Tadjiks, an Iranian people living in the wild mountainous regions at the Soviet Union's extreme south-eastern tip.

1977 Yin Ming United & Equal 4 There is hardly any place along China's long border without its communities of minority nationalities. Among them are..the Kazakhs, Uighurs, Khalkhas and Tajiks in Sin Kiang.

1979 A. Henning tr. Myrdal Silk Road i. 5 Our hosts..are Tadzhiks.

1980 G. Richards Red Kill xxv. 204 Children had come from all corners of the Soviet Union... Azerbaijanis, Tadjiks, Ukrainians.

1953 O. Caroe Soviet Empire iii. 33 With sedentary and town populations speaking Tajik it can as safely be accepted that they are of Iranian stock-origin.

1964 H. H. Paper tr. D. A. Shafeev Short Gram. Outl. Pashto 1 Until 1936 the official language of Afghanistan was Kabuli, one of the dialects of Tajik.

1978 Times 18 Oct. 16/8 [In] Uzbekistan..many..speak Tadzhik..and other Asian languages.

1911 Encycl. Brit. XXVI. 365/1 The Tajik population of the richly-cultivated districts north of Kabul.

1959 E. H. Carr Socialism in One Country II. xx. 268 The Tajik population, the only non-Turki-speaking group in the area.

1974 Listener 17 Oct. 494/2 Travelling through the Hindu Kush..with three Tajik tribesmen.

1979 A. Henning tr. Myrdal Silk Road i. 8 We are sitting on the starkly beautiful, thick, Tadzhik carpet of felted wool.

1979 A. Henning tr. Myrdal Silk Road i. 5 This is the Tashkurghan Tadzhik Autonomous County in the far west of China.