معنی نام چرکس

کلمات ایرانی گِرِزَ-گاس (آن که محلش غار است) و واژۀ سانسکریتی مرکب اَدَهه-خه (مردم زیر سقف غار) که هیئت اصلی نامهای چرکسها یعنی چرکس و آدیغه می نمایند نشانگر آن هستند که مردم گاسپریتی و گاردمان منابع یونانی و ارمنی کهن به معنی غارنشینان همان چرکسها بوده اند.

نظریات مطرح در باب نامهای چرکس و آدیغه از این قرار است:

In their own language the Circassians refer to themselves as Adyghe (also transliterated as Adyga, Adyge, Adygei, Adyghe, Attéghéi). The name is believed to derive from atté "height" to signify a mountaineer or a highlander, and ghéi "sea", signifying "a people dwelling and inhabiting a mountainous country near the sea coast", or "between two seas".[26][27] The Turkic peoples[30] and Russians call the Adyghe Cherkess,.[31] Folk etymology usually explains the name Cherkess as "warrior cutter" or "soldier cutter", from the Turkic words cheri (soldier) and kesmek (to cut), so that Cherkess would mean "soldier-cutter". .

In their own language the Circassians refer to themselves as Adyghe (also transliterated as Adyga, Adyge, Adygei, Adyghe, Attéghéi). The name is believed to derive from atté "height" to signify a mountaineer or a highlander, and ghéi "sea", signifying "a people dwelling and inhabiting a mountainous country near the sea coast", or "between two seas".[26][27] The Turkic peoples[30] and Russians call the Adyghe Cherkess,.[31] Folk etymology usually explains the name Cherkess as "warrior cutter" or "soldier cutter", from the Turkic words cheri (soldier) and kesmek (to cut), so that Cherkess would mean "soldier-cutter".