Mój bachmacie, biegać umiesz… – zagadkowy orientalizm odzwierciedlony w nazwie rasy końskiej w piśmiennictwie staroruskim i staropolskim

Abstract

: In Old Polish texts as well as in later works written in the Old Polish style (e.g. in the Trilogy by H. Sienkiewicz), the name bachmat was used to describe a horse of the Tatar breed, characterized by its small size but incredible endurance. An analogous term ( бахматъ ) can be found in the literature of Old Rus’. There is no doubt that it is an orientalism, which entered into both the Old Russsian language and – through it or independently – the Polish language and here from one of the Tatar dialects. Among the explanations for its etymology, the most interesting seems one connecting it with the term Бохмитъ , i