Golden Horde
/ˈɡoʊl.dən hɔːrd/noun
A Mongol- and Turkic-ruled state that dominated much of the Eurasian steppe from the 13th to 15th centuries.
Did you know?Its own rulers commonly called the state the Ulus of Jochi, meaning the realm or people of Jochi, Genghis Khan’s eldest son.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰel-
“To shine or have a yellow-green color; this ancient root ultimately produced English gold and yellow.”
Old English
Old English
gold
“The precious yellow metal, from a Germanic root connected with shining or yellow color.”
13th Century
Mongolian/Turkic
ordo / ordu
“A royal camp, court, or military encampment—the mobile political center of a steppe ruler.”
13th–15th Centuries
Mongolian
Ulus of Jochi
“The realm or domain of Jochi, the political name used by the dynasty ruling the western Mongol empire.”
15th–16th Centuries
Russian
Золотая Орда (Zolotaya Orda)
“Golden Horde; the Russian designation that became the standard name for the western Mongol state.”
Modern English
English
Golden Horde
“The conventional historical name for the Mongol successor state centered in the Eurasian steppe.”