ρ ά τ ω ν ▁( K har at ō n ). ▁Otto ▁J . ▁Ma en chen - H elf en ▁notes ▁that ▁the ▁- ton ▁element ▁might ▁be ▁an ▁artifact ▁of ▁the ▁Greek ▁trans cription , ▁and ▁the ▁name ▁may ▁actually ▁have ▁ended ▁in ▁- tom , ▁- ton , ▁- to , ▁- ta , ▁or ▁- t . ▁ ▁O mel jan ▁P rit sak , ▁following ▁an ▁earlier ▁suggestion ▁by ▁A . ▁V ám b é ry , ▁derived ▁the ▁root ▁Ch ara - ▁from ▁Al ta ic ▁x ara ▁- ▁q ara , ▁with ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁" black " ▁and ▁" gre at ; ▁northern ". ▁He ▁derived ▁the ▁second ▁part ▁- ton ▁from ▁a ▁S aka ▁loan word ▁into ▁Turk ic , ▁ ▁> ▁* ta un ▁> ▁t ō n , ▁" gar ment , ▁cl othing , ▁mant el ". ▁P rit sak ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁Q ara - T on ▁( black ▁cl ad ; ▁with ▁black ▁coat ) ▁was ▁an ▁intention ally ▁crypt ic ▁term ▁for ▁horse , ▁possibly ▁related ▁to ▁H unn ic ▁to tem ism . ▁ ▁Ma en chen - H elf en ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁above ▁proposal ▁is ▁" phon et ically ▁sound ", ▁but ▁question ed ▁whether ▁the ▁word ▁ton ▁had ▁been ▁loan ed ▁into ▁Turk ic ▁in ▁the ▁fifth ▁century . ▁He ▁suggests ▁that ▁if ▁Char aton ▁did ▁in ▁fact ▁mean ▁" black ▁coat ", ▁then ▁it ▁could ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁Char