turc

Turc is a term found in several European languages with multiple, historically diverging senses. In French, turc functions as the adjective meaning Turkish; as a noun it can denote a person from Turkey, with forms Turc (masculine) and Turque (feminine). In other languages the equivalent term varies (Turk, turco, Turko, etc.). In English, Turc is now rare and mainly encountered in historical or philological contexts.

In ethnolinguistic usage, Turc has been used to refer to the peoples and languages of the Turkic family, a broad group spanning Central Asia, Siberia, and parts of Eastern Europe. The standard English label for this language family is Turkic, while older or non-English sources sometimes used Turc or related variants.

In historical Western writing, the term Turc was commonly employed to denote Turks in general, particularly during the medieval and early modern periods in relation to the Ottoman Empire and Anatolia. These usages reflect period-specific ethnonyms and stereotypes rather than precise modern classifications.

The modern demonym for a person from Turkey is Turk, and the adjective for things related to Turkey or the Turkish language is Turkish. The word Turc derives etymologically from French, which in turn traces back to Latin and Greek forms referring to the Turks. As a surname, Turc appears in some communities, including Romanian and French-speaking groups, without implying a specific ethnicity.

Today, Turc is largely superseded in contemporary usage by Turk and Turkish for people and language, while Turkic designates the broader language family and related peoples. See also Turkic languages, Turkey, Ottoman Empire.