ataman

[ at-uh-muhn ]

noun

, plural at·a·mans.

1. the elected chief of a Cossack village or military force.

ataman

/ ˈætəmən /

noun

1. an elected leader of the Cossacks; hetman

Word History and Origins

Origin of ataman¹

1825–35; < Russian atamán, Old Russian vatamanŭ, probably alteration of a Turkic word with the personal suffix -man; identity of initial element disputed

Word History and Origins

Origin of ataman¹

from Russian, from Polish hetman, from German Hauptmann (literally: head man)

Example Sentences

Turkish basketball team Fenerbahce are refusing to allow their players to report for duty with their country after national team head coach Ergin Ataman showed support for their bitter footballing rivals Galatasaray.

From BBC

But during a friendly basketball match on Tuesday between Panathinaikos and Galatasaray, Ataman - who follows Galatasaray's football team - sparked outrage by making a public gesture.

From BBC

Ataman, who led Panathinaikos to the EuroLeague title in 2023-24, has since apologised for his "unplanned" celebration and said he "definitely did not intend to target or offend any community".

From BBC

In their response Fenerbahce said they will not allow any of their players to play for the national team as long as Ataman remains in his post.

From BBC

The Turkish filmmaker Kutlug Ataman’s “Mesopotamian Dramaturgies/Journey to the Moon” is a single-channel video in which a voice-over describes a sequence of mostly black-and-white photographs.

From New York Times