Definition of tartar

The origin of the word "tartar" can be traced back to the medieval era, when it was used to describe the hardened, crusty dental deposits that formed in the mouths of some people. This usage of the term was first recorded in the 14th century in European languages, such as French and English, which borrowed it from the Old Turkish word tarkтар. The Old Turks were a fierce nomadic people who dominated Central Asia in the early Middle Ages. They spoke a language related to Mongolian, which developed the word tarkhār to describe a type of hard, rock-like substance found in horse manure. This substance was thought to be a form of salt that was not soluble in water and was believed to have magical properties. The term became incorporated into the vocabulary of the Mongolian empires that succeeded the Old Turks, including the Mongol Empire and the later Timurid and Uzbek empires. Under the Turks and Mongols, the word evolved to refer to any rock-like substance, such as the hardened secretions found in the mouths of some people. As European traders and travelers came into contact with the Mongolian empires in the late Middle Ages, they too adopted the term "tartar" to describe the dental deposits they observed. As the use of the term became more widespread in Europe, it evolved to encompass other substances that were hard and crusty, such as the tannin-rich deposits that form on the skin of grapes in winemaking, as well as mineral precipitates found in lake sediments. Today, the word "tartar" is still used to describe dental deposits, as well as minerals and other substances that are hard and crusty. Its origins in a linguistic borrowing from the medieval Turkic peoples demonstrate the deep cultural and linguistic connections that once linked Eastern and Western civilizations.