Cheremis

noun

Cher·​e·​mis

variants or Cheremiss

¦cherə¦mis,

-mēs

plural Cheremis or Cheremises or Cheremiss or Cheremisses

1

: one of a Finnish people of eastern Russia that are farmers and forest dwellers in the Mari and Bashkir republics of the U.S.S.R.

called also Mari

2

: the Finno-Ugric language of the Cheremis people

Word History

Etymology

Russian Cheremis, from Old Russian Čermisy, probably from Chuvash Śarmîś

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