Etymology Map
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Bogatyr

3 stages from Old Turkic to English.

Today it means a hero of Russian epic poetry

Where does the word "bogatyr" come from? It comes from Old Turkic baghatur, passing through Russian before entering English (1800s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
baghatur
Old Turkic · medieval
"hero, warrior"
a title for a brave warrior among Turks and Mongols; Mongolian 'baatar', as in Ulaanbaatar, is the same word
2
Stage 2 of 3
bogatyr
Russian · medieval
"epic hero"
the heroes of the epic songs called 'byliny', such as Ilya Muromets, are bogatyrs
3
Stage 3 of 3
bogatyr
English · 1800s
"a Russian epic hero"
Viktor Vasnetsov's 1898 painting of three bogatyrs made them an emblem of Russian folklore abroad
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Read the full story

Bogatyr’s story begins in Old Turkic: baghatur meant “hero, warrior.” A title for a brave warrior among Turks and Mongols; Mongolian 'baatar', as in Ulaanbaatar, is the same word. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Russian as bogatyr. The heroes of the epic songs called 'byliny', such as Ilya Muromets, are bogatyrs. It reached English by 1800s as bogatyr. Viktor Vasnetsov's 1898 painting of three bogatyrs made them an emblem of Russian folklore abroad. Today, bogatyr means a hero of Russian epic poetry.