What is "terloy"

The Terloy (also Terlo, Teroy) (Chechen: ТIерлой, ТIерой) is a Chechen tukkhum. Nowadays the majority of the Terloy tribe reside in the western part of Chechnya – So'ljan district, Teh'a-Martan district, H'alha-Martan district, Akhmetovsky district of Georgia and in some villages of republic Ingushetia. But the origin place of Terloy tribe is in south-west Chechnya Terloy-Mohk, up on the mountains, Galanchoj district. There are no people living there since February 1944. All villages were destroyed by Soviet government and was forbidden to live there because the region was considered as rebellious and dangerous. Terloy speak in Iton-Khelan dialect of Chechen language. The name Terloy comes from the geographical place of origin. Ter – from up, loy – indicates to belonging to a group. The population demographics is not known exactly, but it is considered to have around 30,000 people.

«Дийначу нехан буьйда бIаьргаш диина маI-ТIерлой» - Terloy, who ate uncooked eyes of alive people. There is a parable, according to which Terloys had eaten eye of a person from a group of people who came to steal cattle of Terloy. Terloy people killed all the men except one. He was that poor man who lost his eye. They left him in the example for others so that he would tell people who did it and for what reason. In 1994 in the beginning of war with Russia there were formed some groups by Terloy to defeat Russian aggression. And there was also one regiment organized by people from Galanchoj district called Galanchojan Polk but mostly composed of Terloy because the leader of it was from Terloy.