tartar English · revision 1059

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈtɑɹ.tɚ/, /ˈtɑː.tə/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|tartre]], [[bor|fro|tartre]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) [[der|la-med|tartarum]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|grc|τάρταρον|tr=tártaron|t=tartar encrusting the sides of wine casks]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) The Greek word is perhaps of Semitic or other Oriental origin, but no exact source has been found.^(Etymonline) The unrelated ''Tartar'' (a person of Central Asia) comes, through Medieval Latin ''Tartarus'', from Persian ''Tātār'', altered by association with [[Tartarus]], the classical underworld.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The crust of potassium bitartrate deposited in wine casks during fermentation (c. 1386 in the OED; 1392 in Barnhart).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 17th century the word was applied generally to any crust deposited from a liquid (1605),^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) and in 1806 specifically to the hard deposit that forms on teeth.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) The purified substance from the wine deposit is [[cream of tartar]] (1584).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) The ethnic name ''Tartar'' gave the sense “savage, violent or irritable person” (1663) and the phrase ''to catch a Tartar'', to tackle someone who proves unexpectedly formidable (1663).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1386 – the deposit in wine casks.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1584 – ''cream of tartar''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1605 – any crust deposited by a liquid.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1663 – ''Tartar'', a violent or intractable person, and ''to catch a Tartar''.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1790 – the adjective ''tartaric''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1806 – the deposit on the teeth.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A hard yellowish deposit on the teeth, formed from [[plaque]] hardened by mineral salts; dental [[calculus]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A reddish crust, chiefly [[potassium]] bitartrate, deposited in wine casks during [[fermentation]]; the source of cream of tartar.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(often capitalized)'' A person of violent or irritable temper; also, someone who proves unexpectedly formidable.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[tartaric]]

+ * [[tartrate]]

+ * [[cream of tartar]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Tartarus]]

+ * [[Tatar]]

+ * [[tartar sauce]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}