Catai

Catai

See also: catai and catái

Italian

Antica mappa del Catai. — Ancient map of Cathay.

Etymology

From Latin Kitai etc., from its Khitan original Khita(n), probably via Uyghur.[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈtaj/
• Rhymes: -aj
• Hyphenation: Ca‧tài

Proper noun

Catai m

1. (historical) Cathay (historical name of northern China)
   • 1298, Marco Polo, Il Milione, Giuseppe Pagani (1827), Chapter 111, p.125:

     Ciaglu è una molto gran città nella provincia del Catai, ed è del Gran Cane, e sono idoli;

     Chaglu is a very large city in the province of Cathay: under the Great Khan, and [the people] are idolaters;

   • 1516, Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando furioso, Gabriel Giolito (1551), Canto XIX, p.85:

     Queſta, ſe non ſapete, Angelica era ¶ del Gran Can del Catai la figlia altiera.

     This, if you don't know, was Angelica, haughty daughter of the Great Khan of Cathay.

See also

• Cina

References

1. Sinor, D. (1998) "The Kitan and the Kara Kitay" in History of Civilizations of Central Asia, Vol. IV, Pt. I, UNESCO, p. 241.

Anagrams

• Itaca, acati

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Portuguese

Alternative forms

• Cathay, Cathai, Catay (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin Cathaya. See English Cathay for more.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kaˈtaj/ [kaˈtaɪ̯]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐˈtaj/

• Homophone: catai

Proper noun

Catai m

1. (historical) Cathay (historical name of northern China)