Etymology Map
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Aul

3 stages from Kipchak Turkic to English.

Today it means a village or nomad camp in the Caucasus or Central Asia

Where does the word "aul" come from? It comes from Kipchak Turkic awıl, passing through Russian before entering English (1830s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
awıl
Kipchak Turkic · medieval
"nomad camp"
a camp of yurts belonging to related families
2
Stage 2 of 3
aul
Russian · 1800s
"Caucasian village"
used for the mountain villages of the Caucasus in the tales of Pushkin, Lermontov and Tolstoy
3
Stage 3 of 3
aul
English · 1830s
"a Caucasian village"
kept in English translations of Russian Caucasian stories such as Tolstoy's 'Hadji Murat'
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Read the full story

Aul’s story begins in Kipchak Turkic: awıl meant “nomad camp.” A camp of yurts belonging to related families. By 1800s, the word had taken hold in Russian as aul. Used for the mountain villages of the Caucasus in the tales of Pushkin, Lermontov and Tolstoy. It reached English by 1830s as aul. Kept in English translations of Russian Caucasian stories such as Tolstoy's 'Hadji Murat'. Today, aul means a village or nomad camp in the Caucasus or Central Asia.