Re: [tied] Etymology of TAT and origin of tats

Tat is classified as a Southwestern Iranian language, derived from Middle Persian and related to Modern Persian. It was probably brought to Azerbaijan by Persian soldiers during the Sassanid period, and adopted also by the so-called "Mountain Jews" who call themselves <daG-c^ufut> and whose ancestors came mainly from SW Iran. The name <ta:t> is of Turkic origin and refers to sedentary people (as opposed to nomadic Turkic speakers)

Here are some references:

http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=TTT

http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=TAT

http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/tats.shtml

http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/mountain_jews.shtml

Piotr

----- Original Message -----
From: Gevork Kherlopian

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 12:32 AM

Subject: [tied] Etymology of TAT and origin of tats

Please, your idea about the origin of the word TAT. It is Iranian (Indo European) tribe living in the Caucasus. Their language is called also tat or Tati. Some sources indicate that they got mixed with Jews who moved to the area around the I century AD from neighboring Iran, Armenia and Georgia. G. K.