Etymology Map
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Djigit

3 stages from Turkic to English.

Today it means a skilled and daring horseman of the Caucasus or Central Asia

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

1
Stage 1 of 3
yigit
Turkic · medieval
"young brave"
a brave young man; Turkish still calls a bold youth 'yiğit'
2
Stage 2 of 3
dzhigit
Russian · 1800s
"trick rider"
Cossacks adopted the Circassian trick-riding 'dzhigitovka', standing, hanging and vaulting at full gallop
3
Stage 3 of 3
djigit
English · 1800s
"trick rider"
used for Cossack and Caucasian trick riders, who toured Western circuses and Wild West shows around 1900
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Read the full story

Djigit’s story begins in Turkic: yigit meant “young brave.” A brave young man; Turkish still calls a bold youth 'yiğit'. By 1800s, the word had taken hold in Russian as dzhigit. Cossacks adopted the Circassian trick-riding 'dzhigitovka', standing, hanging and vaulting at full gallop. It reached English by 1800s as djigit. Used for Cossack and Caucasian trick riders, who toured Western circuses and Wild West shows around 1900. Today, djigit means a skilled and daring horseman of the Caucasus or Central Asia.