Kitai

From Latin Kitai,[1] from Khitan or , Khitai(n),[2] probably via Uyghur ⁧خىتاي⁩ (xitay).[3] Cognate with Cathay and Russian Кита́й (Kitáj).

Kitai

1. (historical ethnography) Synonym of Khitan, in its various senses.
   • c. 1913, The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Vol. IV, page 738:

     ḲARA KHITĀI (or ḲARĀ KHIṬĀI), the usual name since the vi^th (xii^th) century in Muḥammadan sources for the Kitai people, mentioned by the Chinese from the eighth century A. D. onwards, who were probably Tunguz (according to another view Mongol)... From the beginning of the tenth century the Kitai carried on a campaign of conquest, conquered the northern part of China and founded a dynasty which as a Chinese ruling house was called Liao (916).

• Kytay

From Giovanni da Pian del Carpine's transcription[1] of Khitan [script needed] (Khita(n),[2] probably via Uyghur ⁧خىتاي⁩ (xitay).[3]

Kitai

1. (historical ethnography) The Khitans: a former nomadic people of central Asia.
   • 1246, John de Plano Carpini, The Voyage of Johannes de Plano Carpini vnto the Northeast parts of the world, in the yeere of our Lord, 1246, Ch. 5, page 54:

     Naymani & Kara Kitai, id est, nigri Kitai, ex adverso in quandam vallem strictam inter montes duos, per quam nos euntes ad imperatorem eorum transiuimus, similiter conueniunt: & commissum est praelium, in quo Naymani & Kara Kitai a Mongallis sunt deuicti, & maior pars eorum occisa: & alii qui euadere non potuerunt in seruitutem redacti sunt.

     The Naimani also, and the people called Karakitay [that is, the black Kitay] assembled and banded themselues at a certaine straight valley, where, after a battell foughten they were vanquished by the Mongals. And being thus vanquished they were, the greater part of them, slaine; and others, which could not escape, were carried into captiuitie.

Borrowed from Russian Кита́й (Kitáj), from Old East Slavic Китаи (Kitai).

Kitai (genitive Kitain, partitive Kitaid)

1. China