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The Pannonian Avars /ˈævɑrz/ were a group of medieval equestrian warrior nomads of uncertain origins, who established the Avar Khaganate, which spanned the Carpathians and considerable areas of Central and Eastern Europe from the late 6th to the early 9th century. They were ruled by a Khagan, who led a tight-knit entourage of professional warriors. Although the name Avar first appeared in the mid-5th century AD, these Avars entered the historical scene in the mid-6th century AD, having formed as a mixed band of warriors in the Pontic-Caspian steppe wishing to escape Göktürk rule. Their linguistic affiliation is uncertain and may be tentatively deduced from a variety of sources, betraying a variety of languages spoken by ruling and subject clans. Proposals by scholars include Oghur Turkic, Tungusic, Caucasian, Mongolic and Iranian. Over time, Slavic became the lingua franca of the Avar Khaganate. The earliest clear reference to the Avar ethnonym comes from Priscus the Rhe
