خىتاي
Uyghur
Etymology
From Chagatai خِطَایْ (xiṭāy), from Khitan Khita(n). Cognate with English Cathay.
Noun
| Other scripts | |
|---|---|
| Perso-Arabic | خىتاي |
| Latin | xitay |
| Cyrillic | хитай |
خىتاي • (xitay) (plural خىتايلار (xitaylar))
Proper noun
| Other scripts | |
|---|---|
| Perso-Arabic | خىتاي |
| Latin | Xitay |
| Cyrillic | Хитай |
خىتاي • (Xitay)
Usage notes
Although this term for China is shared with most Central Asian and Slavic languages, whose forms of the name probably derive their -i and -y endings from Uyghur,[1] as it refers to an era of nomadic domination over the Han, it is formally prohibited within China and functions as a kind of racial slur.
References
- ^ Sinor, D. (1998) "The Kitan and the Kara Kitay" in History of Civilizations of Central Asia, Vol. IV, Pt. I, UNESCO, p. 241.