How Do You Spell KHOTANESE?

Pronunciation: [kˌɒtənˈiːz] (IPA)

The spelling of "Khotanese," a language that was spoken in the Khotan region of present-day China, can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription. The first syllable, "kho," is pronounced with a voiceless velar fricative sound represented by the symbol /x/. The second syllable, "ta," is pronounced with a dental plosive sound represented by the symbol /t/. The third syllable, "nese," is pronounced with a voiced alveolar fricative sound represented by the symbol /z/. Therefore, the correct spelling of this word is "kho-ta-ne-se."

KHOTANESE Meaning and Definition

1. Khotanese refers to the ancient Iranian language that was spoken in the oasis town of Khotan in the Tarim Basin, located in present-day Xinjiang, China. It was primarily used during the medieval period, from the 5th to the 10th centuries. Khotanese is classified as an Eastern Iranian language and is closely related to Sogdian, another Iranian language spoken in Central Asia.

   The Khotanese language is primarily known through various Buddhist texts and manuscripts found in the Dunhuang caves, which provide valuable insights into the cultural and religious developments of the region during that time. These texts include religious and philosophical treatises, legal and administrative documents, literary works, and translations of famous Indian Buddhist texts.

   Linguistically, Khotanese exhibits features commonly found in other Iranian languages, such as a complex verbal system with various tenses and moods, as well as a large vocabulary influenced by neighboring languages like Sanskrit and Chinese. The writing system used for Khotanese is based on the Brahmi script, which was adapted with additional characters to account for specific phonetic features in the language.

   Today, Khotanese is considered an extinct language, as there are no native speakers. However, its historical significance as a key component of the Silk Road cultural and linguistic exchange, along with its rich textual corpus, continues to attract the interest of linguists, historians, and scholars studying the ancient civilizations of Central Asia.

Etymology of KHOTANESE

The word "Khotanese" refers to the Middle Iranian language spoken in the ancient region of Khotan, located in present-day Xinjiang, China. The term itself is derived from the name of the city of Khotan, which was a major cultural and political center along the Silk Road.

The etymology of the word "Khotan" is not entirely clear. It is believed to have originated from the Saka language, an Eastern Iranian language spoken by the Indo-European Saka people who inhabited the region. Some theories suggest that "Khotan" could be a corruption of the Saka word "Jūattana", which means "Jeweled Land". Others propose that it might have been derived from the Sanskrit term "Kustana", which means "walled city".