It is generally accepted that the origin of the word "Tajik" is Middle Persian "Tāzīk" "Arab" (New Persian: "Tazi"), or an Iranian (Sogdian or Parthian) cognate word. Some Turks of Central Asia adopted a variant of this word, "Täžik", to designate the Persian Muslims in the Oxus basin and Khorasan, who were the Turks' rivals. 