tamga

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

Tamga’s story begins in Old Turkic: tamğa meant “brand, seal.” A clan brand marked on livestock, coins and stone monuments. By 1200s-1400s, the word had taken hold in Russian as tamga. Under the Golden Horde the tamga was also a trade tax, which gave Russian 'tamozhnya', customs house. It reached English by 1800s as tamga. Used by historians and archaeologists for clan marks found on steppe coins and stones. Today, tamga means a clan emblem or seal of the Turkic and Mongol peoples.

1. Stage 1 · Old Turkic · medieval tamğa "brand, seal", a clan brand marked on livestock, coins and stone monuments.
2. Stage 2 · Russian · 1200s-1400s tamga "customs duty", under the Golden Horde the tamga was also a trade tax, which gave Russian 'tamozhnya', customs house.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1800s tamga "a Turkic clan emblem", used by historians and archaeologists for clan marks found on steppe coins and stones.