Tay

Tay is a term with several distinct uses in geography, anthropology, and personal names. It commonly refers to the River Tay in Scotland, but it also denotes an ethnic group and language in Vietnam, as well as serving as a given name or surname in various cultures.

The River Tay in Scotland is the longest river entirely within the country, running about 193 kilometers (120 miles). It rises at Loch Tay near the village of Killin in Perthshire and flows generally eastward through Dunkeld and Perth before reaching the North Sea at the Firth of Tay near Dundee. The river watershed supports diverse wildlife and is renowned for salmon fishing and scenic landscapes. A notable historical event is the Tay Bridge disaster of 1879, when a bridge over the river collapsed in a storm, resulting in significant loss of life; a replacement bridge opened in 1887.

In Vietnam, Tay (also spelled Tày) refers to one of the country’s large ethnic minority groups. The Tay people live mainly in the northern mountainous regions and speak the Tay language, a Tai–Kadai language. They have a distinct cultural heritage, traditional customs, and agricultural practices, and are one of the many communities that contribute to Vietnam’s cultural diversity.

As a personal name, Tay is used as a given name or surname in various cultures. In some cases, it may be a standalone name or a shortened form of longer names.

See also references to other similarly named topics or disambiguation pages for Tay in different contexts as needed.