English Explanatory Dictionary

tamada

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A toastmaster at a feast in the Caucasus, especially in Georgia.

Pronunciation

/ˈtɑːmədə/ /ˈtɑːmədɑː/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-tamada1.wav LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-tamada2.wav /ˈtɑmədə/ /ˈtɑmədɑ/

Word forms

tamada tamadas

Etymology

Borrowed from Georgian თამადა (tamada), from (Proto-?)Circassian *tħamada (compare West Circassian тхьаматэ (tḥamatɛ, “foreman of a village; boss; master; chairman; (dated) husband”), East Circassian тхьэмадэ (tḥɛmadɛ, “foreman of a village; boss; master; chairman; (dialectal) bridegroom, wooer”)), probably from Ottoman Turkish داماد (damat, “bridegroom; son-in-law; sovereign's brother-in-law”) (from Persian داماد (dâmâd, “bridegroom; son-in-law; father-in-law; sovereign's brother-in-law; lover, wooer”)) with the ending reshaped under the influence of East Circassian адэ (adɛ, “father”). The suggestion that the word is derived from a blend of თავი (tavi, “head”) + მაგიდა (magida, “table”) (in the sense of a person at the head of a table) is a folk etymology.

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