Where does “Cathayan” come from?

Cathayan (English) comes from English ān, from Middle English ān, from Old English ān, from Proto-West Germanic ain, from Proto-Germanic ainaz, from Proto-Indo-European óynos — one; single.

Cathayan (English): A native or inhabitant of Cathay, or China

Definitions

  1. A native or inhabitant of Cathay, or China

Ancestry of “Cathayan”, step by step

Cathayan traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English ān

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishān—
2Middle Englishāna, an indefinite article
3Old Englishānlonely; entirely alone, solitary, single; one
4Proto-West Germanicainone
5Proto-Germanicainazone; some
6Proto-Indo-Europeanóynosone; single

via English Cathay

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCathaylegendary northern medieval China
2LatinCathaya—
3Old Turkic𐰶𐰃𐱃𐰪Khitans
4Khitan𘱿𘲫—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European óynos →Every word from Proto-Germanic ainaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic ain →