person
Murza
also: Мурза
A wealthy Tatar host near Feodosia at whose house Chekhov breakfasted during his 1887 Crimean trip, and who promised to take him to Tatar villages and show him the local rich men's harems; distinct from the unnamed naval prosecutor and from Captain Michel mentioned earlier in the same letter.
Reading notes
- To M. P. Chekhova, 14 July 1888. Feodosia. §5 a certain Murza, a Tatar
"Murza" (мурза) is properly a hereditary title of the Tatar nobility, used here by Chekhov as if it were the host's personal name -- a common period looseness. This Murza, a wealthy local notable near Feodosia, is distinct from the naval prosecutor who is a separate guest at the same breakfast, and from Captain Michel mentioned earlier in the letter.