Ethnonym and Glottonym
The Mari language and people were known as "Cheremis" (Russian: черемисы, черемисский язык). In mediæval texts the variant forms Cheremis', Sarmys, Tsarmys (Russian: черемись, сармыс, цармис) are also found, as well as Tatar Cyrillic: Чирмеш, Latin: Çirmeş; and Chuvash: Çармăс, Şarmăs before the Russian Revolution. The term Mari comes from the Maris' self-designation марий (mari), which is thought to have been borrowed from the Indo-Aryan term *mar- (< PIE *mer-) 'man.
Read more about this topic: Mari Language