Tengrism
/ˈtɛŋɡrɪzəm/noun
A modern scholarly term for the traditional sky-centered religious and spiritual beliefs associated with various Turkic and Mongolic peoples.
Did you know?“Tengrism” is largely a modern scholarly label; historical Turkic peoples usually referred to the sacred power as Tengri rather than naming their entire tradition Tengrism.
Etymological Timeline
Late Antiquity or earlier
Proto-Turkic
*teŋri
“Reconstructed form associated with the sky, heaven, or a supreme celestial power; its deeper origin remains debated.”
8th Century
Old Turkic
𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃 / teŋri
“Heaven, the sky, or the divine celestial power invoked in Old Turkic inscriptions.”
11th Century
Karakhanid Turkic
teŋri
“God or heaven, documented in early Turkic lexicographic tradition.”
13th–17th Century
Mongolian
tengri / tenger
“Heaven or the sky deity; the related Mongolian form became prominent in descriptions of steppe religious traditions.”
Modern Turkish
Turkish
Tanrı
“God or deity; a later Turkish form descended from the older Turkic term.”
20th Century
English
Tengrism
“Modern English scholarly formation: Tengri combined with -ism, meaning a system or tradition centered on Tengri.”