Khitan

• Kitai, Khitai
• Kitan, K'itan

Borrowed from Khitan 𘱿𘲫 (*qid ún) or 𘱿𘱤 (*qid i)[1] under influence from Chinese 契丹 (Qìdān), and Mongolian Кидан (Kidan).

Doublet of Cathay. Cognate with Russian Кита́й (Kitáj, “China”) and the various forms of Cathay (“legendary northern medieval China”) in European languages.

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

Khitan (plural Khitans or Khitan)

1. A member of an ancient nomadic people of northern China.

   Synonym: (plural) Liao

• (land of the Khitans): Cathay; Catai, Kytay (obsolete)

• Note: These translations may be for the plural.

Khitan (not comparable)

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