The term ''nökör'' ( mn, нөхөр comrade, companion, friend)
was applied in the time of
Genghis Khan
''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋbr />Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan''
, birth_name = Temüjin
, successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan
, spouse =
, issue =
, house = Borjigin
, ...
to soldiers who abandoned their family ties and devoted themselves exclusively to their leader.
The nature of their bond to the leader was of friendship or individual pledges, rather than hereditary obligations.
They were valiant and loyal fighters.
Many of the most prominent generals of Genghis Khan were ''nökhör''.
Today the term is used more loosely.
Derivatives of the term are found in several languages, including
Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani may refer to:
* Something of, or related to Azerbaijan
* Azerbaijanis
* Azerbaijani language
See also
* Azerbaijan (disambiguation)
* Azeri (disambiguation)
* Azerbaijani cuisine
* Culture of Azerbaijan
The culture of Azerbaijan ...
(''nökər''),
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
(նոքար ''nokʽar''),
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
(نوکر ''nokar''),
Hindustani (نَوکَر/नौकर ''naukar''),
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
(নওকর ''nôukôr'') and
Hungarian (''nyögér'').
[Róna-Tas and Berta. (2011) ''West Old Turkic'', vol. 2, p. 623-25]
References
Mongolian words and phrases
Genghis Khan
Mongol Empire
{{Mongolia-hist-stub