What's the difference between a czar and a tsar?

Question

What's the difference between a czar and a tsar?

Answer 1

They mean exactly the same thing but since the Russians never used the Latin Alphabet it's transliterated.

Answer 2

Tsar occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs.

Originally, and indeed during most of its history, the title tsar (derived from Caesar) meant Emperor in the European medieval sense of the term

Answer 3

In theory, they're one and the same.

But I believe nowadays you would use "tsar" to refer to the historical emperor...and "czar" to refer to a mafia-head (some wealthy businessman, usually shady).

Answer 4

No difference - they are just different spelling conventions of the same title.  The title czar has become more popular since it is used more often (i.e. the title "drug czar") in the news.  I've always preferred tsar.

I believe that it is actually a derivative of the title caesar.

Answer 5

They are one and the same, the only difference is the spelling.

Answer 6

On the very simplest level - nothing.

Tsar is the original term, although this actually comes from the word 'Tsesar' which is derived from Caesar, the alternate spellings of 'Tzar' and 'czar' are merely results of trying to take a word which was originally in the Cyrillic alphabet into the more familiar Latin alphabet.

'Czar' has been used (irrespective of its actual historical root, in a similar way to the word 'mogul' which originally in the form of 'Moghul' simply meant a Mongol) in the USA, to be a high-level civil servant - for example "terrorism czar" for a Presidential advisor on terrorism policy.

Answer 7

spelling and of course the difficulties of  rendering  one language's sounds into another's written system.

Answer 8

I believe Tsar is the older Russian form and Czar is the Westernized spelling.

Answer 9

Good question.

Everyone above is correct.  What's in a name?

Answer 10

There is no difference other than spelling.  The traditional spelling is czar, while the more modern one is tsar. Both are equally acceptable.

It is derived from Caesar, the same as the German Kaizer or Kaiser, and the Shah (khan) of Persia.

The wife of a Tsar/Czar is the Tsarina/Czarina, or Tsaritsa/Czaritsa.  So is the heir apparent (which is always male in Russian Royalty) the Tsarevich/Czarevich, and the Crown Princess (later primary Grand Duchess) the Tsarewna/Czarewna.

Answer 11

Only the spelling