From the Oxford English Dictionary, second edition, volume XX:
Yurt - A semi-subterranean dwelling or hut of the natives of northern and central Asia, usually formed of timber covered with earth or turf. Also, a circular skin- or felt-covered tent, with collapsible frame, used by the nomadic peoples of Siberia and Central Asia.
'Yurt' is derived from the Russian word 'yurta,' the French word 'yourte,' and the German word 'jurte.'
First known use of the word is found in Cook's Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, 1784: "Natcheekin is a very inconsiderable 'ostrog,' having only one log-house, the residence of the Toion; five balagans, and one jourt."
Subsequent uses include one from a Publishers Weekly ad in 1974: "Build a yurt. The round house you can make...It's a portable dwelling for people and pets...Inspired by the ancient Mongolian felt-and-hide structures, the yurt is the newest thing in housing."
Mongolian song about yurts called Ode to Auspiciousness
[English lyrics translated from Mongolian]
Auspicious and wish-fulfilled life blessed by skylights,
Splendid and gorgeous yurt roofs,
Doors and windows made by purple sandalwoods.
These are our homes.
Our sacrifice offered to the grand sky and earth.
Our worship paid to the sacred mountains and rivers.
Playing prolonged horse-fiddle tunes,
We sing melodious Mongolian Long Songs.
Let us sing and dance,
To extol our happy life.
Let us sing and dance,
To bless our eternal motherland.
