Cathay
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Cathay
- /kæˈθeɪ/
Rhymes with -eɪ
Where it comes from
From Latin Cathaya, variant of Cataya, from Old Turkic 𐰶𐰃𐱃𐰪 (Qïtań), and ultimately from Khitan 𘱿𘲫 (*qid ún); the Khitan people who conquered northern China as the Liao dynasty in the 10th century and ruled the central Asian Qara Khitai Khanate in the 12th, just prior to the overland European missions to China occasioned by the Pax Mongolica. Most likely cognate with Mongolian хутга (xutga, “knife”) from Proto-Mongolic *kïtuga.
Doublet of Khitan. Cognate with Russian Кита́й (Kitáj, “China”). See Names of China.
proper noun
- China, specifically medieval northern China as reached by the overland Silk Road to Xi'an or Beijing, not known at the time to be related to southern China as reached by the maritime routes to Guangzhou. Toute la Chine eſt diviſée en ſeize Provinces qui valent mieux chacune que de grands Royaumes. Il y en a dix vers le Midi ; ſçavoir Yunnan, Quanſi, Canton, Fuquiem, Chequiam, NanKin, Kiamſi, Huqüam, Suſcüem & Quicheu. Les ſix vers le Septentrion ſont Xenſi, Scianſi, Honan, Xantung, PeKin & Leaotung,
- A settlement in North Dakota.
- Ellipsis of Cathay Pacific.Cathay Pacific
