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Where does the word "tengri" come from? It comes from Old Turkic Täŋri, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).
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Where does the word "tengri" come from? It comes from Old Turkic Täŋri, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).
Tengri’s story begins in Old Turkic: Täŋri meant “sky, god.” The Orkhon inscriptions credit the khagans' power to Heaven, 'Täŋri'. It reached English by 1900s as Tengri. 'Tengrism', a revival of the old sky religion, gained followers in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan after 1991. Today, tengri means the sky god of the ancient Turks and Mongols.
- Stage 1 · Old Turkic · 700s Täŋri "sky, god", the Orkhon inscriptions credit the khagans' power to Heaven, 'Täŋri'.
- Stage 2 · English · 1900s Tengri "Turkic sky god", 'Tengrism', a revival of the old sky religion, gained followers in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan after 1991.