Bulgar
/ˈbʌlɡɑːr/noun
A member of a Turkic people who founded the early Bulgarian state, or a person from Bulgaria.
Did you know?The name Bulgar is historically tied to the Volga Bulgars and the Danube Bulgars, and its deeper origin is debated, with scholars often connecting it to a Turkic root meaning “to mix” or “to stir up.”
Etymological Timeline
Late Antiquity
Turkic
Bulğar / Bulgar
“A tribal name for a Bulgar people, likely from a Turkic root associated with mixing or stirring”
7th Century
Greek
Βούλγαροι (Boúlgaroi)
“The Bulgars, a people known to Byzantine writers”
7th–9th Century
Latin
Bulgari
“The Bulgars, especially in medieval historical and ecclesiastical texts”
Old Church Slavonic
Slavic
блъгаринъ (blŭgarinŭ)
“A Bulgar person”
Middle English
English
Bulgar
“A Bulgar; later, a person from Bulgaria”
Modern English
English
Bulgar
“A person of Bulgar descent or, more broadly, a Bulgarian”