Where does “tartary” come from?
tartary (Portuguese) comes from Old French Tartaire, from Medieval Latin tartarus, from Latin tartarus, from Ancient Greek Τάρταρος, from Ancient Greek Ταρτησσός, from Ancient Greek Ἡράκλειοι Στῆλαι.
Ancestry of “tartary”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | Tartaire | A Tartar or Tatar (a member of the Turco-Mongol peoples who conquered parts of Asia and Eastern Europe in the 13th century) |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | tartarus | Tatar |
| 3 | Latin | tartarus | A river of Venetia that used to flow into the Adriatic Sea, now called Tartaro |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Τάρταρος | Tartarus |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Ταρτησσός | Tartessus; Tartessos |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Ἡράκλειοι Στῆλαι | — |