Karakhanid

K5A1R1A1K5H4A1N1I1D2

proper noun

An extinct Turkic language developed in the 11th century under the Kara-Khanid Khanate, noted as the first literary Islamic Turkic language. Though it is similar to Old Uyghur, it had several loanwords from Persian and Arabic. Chagatai is a descendant of this language.

OriginClassical Persian قراخانیان ← Old Turkic 𐰴𐰺𐰀 ← Proto-Turkic *kara →
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. An extinct Turkic language developed in the 11th century under the Kara-Khanid Khanate, noted as the first literary Islamic Turkic language. Though it is similar to Old Uyghur, it had several loanwords from Persian and Arabic. Chagatai is a descendant of this language.
adjectiveKarakhanid (not comparable)
  1. not comparableOf or relating to this language or the people who speak it.

Origin

  1. Proto-Turkic*kara
  2. Old Turkic𐰴𐰺𐰀“black; courageous”
  3. Classical Persianقراخانیان
  4. EnglishKarakhanid

Borrowed from Classical Persian قراخانیان (qarāxāniyān), of Turkic origin, from Old Turkic 𐰴𐰺𐰀 (k¹r¹a, “black; courageous”) (from Proto-Turkic *kara) + 𐰴𐰍𐰣 (k¹g¹n¹, “khan, ruler”) (corresponding to modern English khan).

More words from Classical Persian, Old Turkic, Proto-Turkic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Karakhanid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Karakhanid

MLA

“Karakhanid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Karakhanid. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Karakhanid,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Karakhanid.

Source: Karakhanid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.