| Part ofa series on |
| Cossacks |
|---|
 |
| Cossack hosts |
| Other Cossack groups |
| History |
| Notable Cossacks |
| Cossack terms |
| Cossack folklore |
Ataman (variants:otaman,[1]wataman,vataman;Russian:атаман;Ukrainian:отаман) was a title ofCossack andhaidamak leaders of various kinds. In theRussian Empire, the term was the official title of the supreme military commanders of the Cossack armies. The Ukrainian version of the same word ishetman.Otaman in Ukrainian Cossack forces was a position of a lower rank.
The etymologies of the wordsataman andhetman are disputed. There may be several independent Germanic and Turkic origins for seemingly cognate forms of the words, all referring to the same concept. Thehetman form cognates with GermanHauptmann ('captain', literally 'head-man') by the way ofCzech orPolish, like several other titles. The Russian termataman is probably connected toOld East Slavicvatamanŭ, and cognates with Turkicodoman (Ottoman Turks). The termataman may had also a lingual interaction with Polishhetman and Germanhauptmann.[2]
Suggestions have been made that the word might be of Turkic origin, literally meaning 'father of horsemen'[3][4] or 'father of men', 'pure blooded father' or 'eldest man'. Considering the '-man' suffix in turkic languages means men, person, pure blooded or most.[5][6] Dictionaries assert that the word comes from theGerman word 'Hauptmann' which means 'head man', 'headman' or 'chieftain' which entered theRussian language throughPolish 'hetman'.[7][8]See alsoHetman § Etymology.
Otamans were usually elected by the Host Council or could have been appointed, especially during the military campaigns. The appointed otamans were calledacting otaman (наказний отаман,nakaznyi otaman).
In theCossack Hetmanate, leaders of non-Cossack military units (artillery, etc.) were also calledotamans. In the Cossack Hetmanate, the title was used for the administrative purposes, such as the head of the city,City Otaman (городовий отаман). Later such administrative uses were adopted by theKuban Cossacks and were common inKuban Oblast with different variations.
There were various types of otaman:
Otamans were also in charge of general- and regimental-size artillery units, as well as any volunteer military formations and the Zholdak cavalry.
Atamans were the titles of supreme leaders of various Cossack armies during theRussian Civil War.
When Ukraine acquired its independence in 1918, the rank took on different value. Among theUkrainian Sich Riflemen and theUkrainian Galician Army, it was equivalent to a major, as is the battalion executive officer today. In theUkrainian People's Republic, the title was of a general rank.Chief Otoman (головний отаман) was the general of the Ukrainian Army who was assisted by his deputies, Acting Otomans.
The head of the army of theUkrainian People's Republic, in particular,Symon Petliura, was calledSupreme Otaman (головний отаман).
Russian-Azerbaijani MMA fighterRafael Fiziev fights with the nickname "Ataman" as a homage to his mixed Central Asian heritage.
from Russian, from Polish hetman, from German Hauptmann (literally: head man)
Etymology: [Russ. ataman': cf. Pol. hetman, G. hauptmann headman, chieftain. Cf. Hetman.]
