khanum

K5H4A1N1U1M3

A form of khan — A ruler over various Turkic and Mongol peoples in the Middle Ages.

OriginOttoman Turkish خانم ← Proto-Turkic *kagan →
RareScrabble 15
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Meanings

nounkhanum (plural khanums)

plural khanums · alternative khanoum

  1. femininehistoricalFemale equivalent of khan.

Origin

  1. Proto-Turkic*kagan
  2. Ottoman Turkishخانم
  3. Englishkhanum

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish خانم, from Proto-Turkic *kagan. Compare Old Anatolian Turkish خانم (ḫānum), Chagatai خانِم (xānım), and Classical Persian خانم (xānum), a Turkic borrowing. Compare begum for an analogous development.

More words from Ottoman Turkish, Proto-Turkic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Persian خانم
  • خانم (xânom)Translations
Turkish hanım
  • hanımTranslations
Urdu خانَم
  • خانَم (xānam)Translations

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Khuman
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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