khotanese
khotanese Lexical Profile
• adjective
Relating to the ancient kingdom of Khotan, located along the Silk Road in the Tarim Basin of modern-day Xinjiang, China, or to its people and language.
"The museum's collection of Khotanese art reflects a fascinating blend of Indian, Hellenistic, and Iranian cultural influences."
• noun
An extinct Eastern Iranian language of the Middle Iranian period, spoken in the ancient kingdom of Khotan and preserved primarily in Buddhist manuscripts.
"Scholars meticulously translated the Khotanese texts discovered in the Dunhuang caves to better understand the spread of early Buddhism."
A native or inhabitant of the ancient kingdom of Khotan.
"The Khotanese were renowned along the Silk Road for their lucrative trade in jade and high-quality silk."
Word Nuance & Usage
In linguistic contexts, Khotanese is often referred to as Khotanese Saka to distinguish it from other related ancient Iranian dialects.
• Rhymes for khotanese
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Khotan, the name of an ancient oasis kingdom on the Silk Road in the Tarim Basin, combined with the suffix '-ese' (from Latin '-ensis') used to denote nationality, origin, or language.