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Tartary

Tartary

1 9.9
A large historical region in Europe and Asia controlled by the Mongols in the 1200s and 1300s
  • proper noun
: Tartaria
  • Historically, Tartary represented a crucial region for trade and culture during the Mongol conquests.

Examples

  • On the globe, the enormous white wasteland of Tartary squeezes Europe until it explodes with color.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • In the 13th century, Tartary was known for its vast steppes and the power of the Mongol Empire.

  • Explorers often referred to Tartary as an enigmatic and expansive land spanning Europe and Asia.

Synonyms

Tatary
vsTartary
  • Archaic
9.9

A large region in Europe and Asia controlled by the Mongols in the Middle Ages

is the same region but uses an alternate traditional spelling

Surface Forms

Tartary main

Morphology

Tartary = Tartar (opaque) = Tartar + y

The name is historically connected to 'Tartar', but the place-name formation with -y is not a productive or transparent pattern for modern learners.

Etymology

Tartary comes from the name Tatar, the people Europeans used for groups from central Asia, so Tartary was the 'land of the Tatars' on old maps and now names that large historical region.