Also 6 pl. Tartaries, 7, 9 Tātar, 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 neighbors) 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 Tátar 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.]
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 (1202–27) 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.)
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sqr.’s T., 20. This noble kyng this Tartre, Cambynskan. Ibid., 258. This Tartre kyng.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, IV. iii. (1883), 170. Therfore the tartaris haue their wyues in to the felde with hem.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. ccxxiii. 363. The dealyng of the turkes and tartaries with ye portes and passages of the kynges, soudans and miscreantes.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., III. x. 86. Moores, Indians, or Tartares.
1588. Parke, trans. Mendoza’s Hist. China, 18. It [the great wall] was for his defence against the Tartaries, with whome he had warres.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., III. ii. 101. Looke how I goe, Swifter then arrow from the Tartars bowe.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy. (1810), III. 55. They be like to Tartars, with long blacke haire, broad faces, and flatte noses.
1612. Brerewood, 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.
1745. P. 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.
1837. Carlyle, 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.
1842. Penny 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.’
1842. trans. Lett. 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.
1885. E. 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.]
1747. Gentl. 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.
1839. trans. 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 sb., GIPSY sb., TARTARIAN sb. b. Obs.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., IV. v. 21. Here’s a Bohemian-Tartar taries the comming down of thy fat-woman: Let her descend.
1697. Vanbrugh, Relapse, IV. vi. Here, pursue this Tartar, bring him back.
c. As an opprobrious appellation.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., III. ii. 263. Thy loue? out tawny Tartar, out.
1828. Craven Gloss., Tartar, a covetous, griping person.
3. fig. 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.
1663. Dryden, Wild Gallant, II. i. I never knew your grandmother was a Scotchwoman: Is she not a Tartar too?
1771. Smollett, Humph. Cl. (1815), 146. He is generally a tartar at bottom; a sharper, a spy, or a lunatic.
1778. Johnson in Mme. D’Arblay’s Diary, 23 Aug. They will little think what a tartar you carry to them.
1818. Byron, Juan, I. clxxxiv. His blood was up: though young, he was a Tartar.
1826. Greenwich Hospital, 73. ‘I say he was a Tartar.’—‘Then you are mistaken, Harry,’ replied his companion; ‘he was a lad who did his duty, and saw that every one did theirs.’
a. 1845. Hood, Tale of Temper, i. However, cooks are generally Tartars.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. viii. The old man was a awful Tartar.
1891. Athenæum, 11 April, 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’.)
1785. Grose, 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.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. III. 865. Now thou hast got me for a Tartar, To make me ’gainst my will take quarter.
1678. Dryden, Kind Keeper, V. i. What a Tartar have I caught!
1690. J. Mackenzie, Siege London-Derry, 39/2. As it happily fell out, they Catcht a Tartar.
1700. S. L., trans. Fryke’s Voy. E. Ind., 96. I rather hug’d my self that I had let my Tartar go.
1720. De Foe, Capt. Singleton, xvi. (1906), 260. Tell him, if he should try, he may catch a Tartar.
1725. New 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.
1790. W. Shield, Songs, etc., in The Crusade, 15.
| Why, blind fools, base fools, you shall have no quarter, | |
| But find unto your cost that you have caught a tartar. |
1850. Scoresby, 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].
1897. Flor. Marryat, Blood Vampire, xiv. You must give up flirting, my boy, or if I mistake not, you’ll find you’ve caught a Tartar.
1925. Marie Jacques, Colette’s Best Recipes, xii. 149. When you try to cut it into bars or squares, you ’ll find that you have caught a Tartar. It sticks to everything! Especially to you!
5. (absol. use of B.) The language of the Tartars.
1884. G. 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.
1731. Hist. 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.
1811. Pinkerton, Mod. Geog. (ed. 3), 346. A beautiful Tatar girl astride on a cow.
1815. Elphinstone, Acc. Caubul (1842), II. 202. Their features … refer them at once to the Tartar stock.
1842. J. B. Fraser, Mesopot. & Assyria, xv. 369. There were also the shore-lark … and the Tartar lark (A[lauda] tartarica of Pallas).
1866. Treas. Bot., 168/2. Tartar Bread, the fleshy root of Crambe tatarica.
1868. St. Paul’s Mag., July, 485. Scratch an amateur actor as you would a Russian, and the Tartar vanity will come through.
1883. Morfill, 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.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, II. vii. ¶ 22. Little do you fathom my character, to be deceived … by my Tartar contour!
1880. J. 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.
1827. T. L. McKenney, Tour Lakes, 380. [The Chippeway Indians] Their tents and belts are all Tartar-like.
1837. Boston Advert., 17 Jan., 4/4. Miss Stevens was a tartar-like looking lady, very long and unbending.
1897. Mrs. Rayner, Type-writer Girl, xiv. He … called you a Tartar-nosed imp.
Hence + Tartaresque a. Tartar (language) (obs. rare); Tartarism, a Tartar state or condition.
1693. P. 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.
1855. Westm. Rev., LXIII. 229. Imbuing Tartarism with civilization, he [Peter the Great] prepared its decease.
1892. Harper’s Mag., July, 255/1. A line which divides the Tartarism of Russia from the civilization of Europe.
