Tamerlane
/ˌtæmərˈleɪn/noun
An English form of the name of Timur, the Central Asian conqueror and founder of the Timurid Empire.
Did you know?The name reflects Timur’s reported leg injury, while “Timur” itself comes from a Turkic word meaning “iron,” creating the striking epithet “Iron—The Lame.”
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Turkic
Chagatai Turkic
temür
“Iron; the personal name Timur derived from this word.”
14th Century
Chagatai Turkic
Timur
“The name of the Central Asian ruler later known in the West as Tamerlane.”
14th Century
Persian
Tīmūr-i Lang
“Timur the Lame; a Persian epithet referring to his physical disability.”
15th Century
Arabic and Persian chronicles
Tīmūr Lang
“The conqueror’s name and epithet as transmitted through Islamic historical writing.”
16th Century
French
Tamerlan
“European form of Timur’s name, popularized through Western accounts.”
Modern English
English
Tamerlane
“The conventional English name for Timur, ruler of the Timurid Empire from 1370 to 1405.”