Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “khan” come from?

Khan comes from Persian خان, derived from Middle Persian hʾn', a title for rulers or officials whose original meaning remains uncertain.

khan (English): A ruler over various Turkish, Tatar and Mongol...

Definitions

  1. A ruler over various Turkish, Tatar and Mongol...

Ancestry of “khan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Persianخانcaravanserai; khan; rifling
2Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂wes-to dwell, live, reside; to stay, spend the night

Words derived from “khan”

  • chum
  • kan
  • chummy
  • cham
  • khanate
  • chumminess
  • kans
  • chummily
  • chummery
  • chumship
  • chummage
  • unchummy
  • chumbucket
  • chummo
  • chumocracy
  • chumbox
  • chum
  • čoms
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂wes- →