Khitan

See also: khitan

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Khitan or (Khitai(n))[1] under influence from Chinese 契丹 (Qìdān), Mandarin [script needed] (Khejtan), and Mongolian Кидан (Kidan). Cognate with Russian Кита́й (Kitáj, “China”) and the various forms of Cathay (“legendary northern medieval China”) in European languages.

Proper noun

Khitan (historical)

  1. An extinct Mongolic language once spoken in the northern China.
  2. The Khitan Empire; the state of the Khitan people.
    Synonym: Liao

Translations

Noun

Khitan (plural Khitans or Khitan)

  1. A member of an ancient nomadic people of northern China.
    Synonym: (plural) Liao

Translations
  • Note: These translations may be for the plural.

Adjective

Khitan (not comparable)

  1. Of or pertaining to the Khitan people, language or scripts.

Translations

References
  1. Variously also romanized Khita-i ("Khitan Geography, Pt. I") and Qid-i ("Khitan Geography, Pt. II").
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