You are right Helen! Tsar came from latin ceasar,and should be written as Zar',because it's pronounced with the first letter "z" as in "pizza" and "r" at the end is soft. No need for "T". The first tsar was Ivan "The Terrible", which is a example of one of this word meanings - "causing great fear". Peter I ("Great") changed official title Tsar for Imperator, but it didn't live well in spoken language. Both form existed, with people preferring the word tsar.
The name Ivan came to Russia with Christianity from Greek
Ioann, ultimately from Hebrew. Same did John and Co, but by slightly different rote - thru Latin.
P.s. I lived in Brooklyn,NY for three years and worked in Lower Manhattan, couple blocks from WTC. Best regards!
Viktor


Viktor V. Trukov

Viktor V. Trukov