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===The Magyar Invasions===
[[File: before_the_Magyar_invasion.jpg|300px250px|thumbnail|rightleft|Politcal Political Map of Central and Southeastern Europe on the Eve of the Magyar Invasions]]In order to understand how the Kingdom of Hungary formed, it is important to understand the background of the medieval Hungarians, who were descended from the Magyar ethnic group. Unlike most Europeans, who are descended from Indo-European speaking cultural groups, the Magyars were part of the Finno-Ugaric cultural family. The Magyars’ language was specifically a form of Ugaric, which was part of the eastern branch of the family. The Magyars were most closely related to the Finns and various Siberian tribes, but they were separated from the main body of the Ugaric people in the first century BC. <ref> Engel, Pál. <i> The Realm of St. Stephen: A History of Medieval Hungary.</i> Translated by Tamás Pálosfalvi. Edited by Andrew Ayton. (London: I. B. Tauris, 2015), p. 9 </ref> Although the Magyars would later be known, and feared, for their martial prowess, they were driven from Siberia by Sabir tribe, never to return. <ref> György, György. “Dual Kingship and the Seven Chieftains of the Hungarians in the Era of the Conquest and the Raids.” <i>Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarium Hungaricae</i> 47 (1994) p. 87</ref> The Magyars wandered south until they ended up in the Eurasian steppe where they established themselves as fearsome nomadic warriors.
As the former Ugaric tribe wandered the steppe, raiding and living much as the Turkic nomads before them, they began to coalesce into the new ethnic group known as the Magyars. The origins of the term “Magyar” are somewhat varied and refer to different aspects of their culture. Magyar referred to one of the group’s forefathers, was a toponym for their steppe homeland, and was also probably related to the word <i>Merger</i>, which was one of the seven original tribes that merged to form a single group before entering Europe. <ref> Szabados, György. “Magyar – A Name for Persons, Places, Communities.” <i>Hungarian Historical Review</i> 7 (2018) p. 82</ref>