/al tay"ik/ , n.
1. the Turkic, Mongolian, and Tungusic language families collectively, spoken over a broad expanse of Eurasia, from southeastern Europe to the Pacific: variously considered to be a single, genetically related family, with Japanese and Korean sometimes also included, or a group of languages with shared typologies and histories, but not genetically akin.
adj.
2. of or belonging to Altaic.
3. of or pertaining to the Altai Mountains.
Also, Altaian /al tay"euhn, -tuy-/ .
[ 1825-35; ALTA(I) + -IC ]