Khitai
/kɪˈtaɪ/noun
A historical name for China, derived from the name of the Khitan people who ruled parts of northern China.
Did you know?Khitai became a widespread medieval name for China because the Khitan Liao dynasty was one of the region’s dominant powers, giving rise to names such as Cathay.
Etymological Timeline
10th–12th centuries
Khitan
Qidan
“The ethnonym used for the Khitan people, a powerful steppe population and ruling dynasty in northern China.”
Middle Chinese
Chinese
契丹 (Khīt-dān)
“The Chinese form of the name Khitan, referring to the people and their Liao dynasty.”
11th–13th centuries
Persian
Khitāy
“A name for the Khitan realm and, increasingly, for China in Persian geographical and literary writing.”
12th–13th centuries
Arabic
Khitāy
“A medieval Arabic form referring to the lands associated with the Khitans and China.”
13th century
Old Russian
Kitay
“A name for China adopted through contacts with Central Asian and Mongol traditions.”
14th century
European languages
Cathay
“A Western form derived through Central Asian and Asian intermediaries from Khitai or Khitan.”
Modern English
English
Khitai
“A historical or scholarly variant referring to China through the name of the Khitan people.”