Origin and history of Cossack

Cossack(n.)

"one of a military people who inhabit the steppes of southern Russia, 1590s, from Russian kozak, from Turkish kazak "adventurer, guerrilla, nomad," from qaz "to wander." The same Turkic root is the source of the people-name Kazakh and the nation of Kazakhstan.

also from 1590s

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Entries linking to Cossack

cassock(n.)

1540s, "long loose gown or outer cloak," from French casaque "long coat" (16c.), corresponding to Spanish casaca, Italian casacca, probably ultimately from Turkish quzzak "nomad, adventurer," (the source of Cossack), from their typical riding coat. Or perhaps from Arabic kazagand, from Persian kazhagand "padded coat," from kazh "raw silk" + agand "stuffed." Chiefly a soldier's cloak 16c.-17c.; ecclesiastical use is from 1660s.

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Kazakhstan

from the indigenous Kazakh people (whose name is from Turkic kazak "nomad;" see Cossack) + Iranian -stan "country, land" (see -stan).

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