The word "Circassian" () is an exonym, Latinized from Russian "Cherkesy", which is of unknown/debated origin. The Russians referred to all Circassian tribes as "Cherkesy", which may be derived from "Kerkety", the name of one of the Adyghe tribes native to the northwestern Caucasus. The ancient Greeks referred to Circassia as "Siraces". Although most scholars argue that the name "Cherkes" is derived from the word Siraces, there are various opinions. According to one view, the name "Cherkes" was given to them by the Turkic states that were neighbors in the Middle Ages. According to another view, its origin is Persian. According to another, and no longer widely accepted, view, it is possible to explain the etymology of the name with the Turkish word for soldier "çeri", and the imperative mode of the verb cut "kes" (Çeri-kes), roughly giving the meaning "soldier cutter". This is an example of folk etymology and it is not correct.