Cathayan
/kæˈθeɪ.ən/noun
Relating to Cathay, an old literary name for China.
Did you know?Cathay entered European languages through medieval trade and travel accounts, and for centuries it evoked an almost mythical China at the edge of the known world.
Etymological Timeline
Early Medieval
Khitan
Khitan
“The name of a nomadic people who ruled parts of northern China”
10th–12th Century
Chinese
Qìdān (契丹)
“The Chinese name for the Khitan people”
12th–13th Century
Persian
Khitāy
“A name for North China / the Khitan realm, passed along trade routes”
13th Century
Medieval Latin
Cataya / Cathay
“A western name for China, especially the northern regions”
14th Century
English
Cathay
“The literary or archaic name for China”
Modern English
English
Cathayan
“Relating to Cathay or to China in a literary or historical sense”