Italian

Antica mappa del Catai. — Ancient map of Cathay.

Proper noun

Catai m

1. (historical) Cathay (historical name of northern China)
   • 1298, Marco Polo, Il Milione, Giuseppe Pagani (1827), Chapter 111, p.125:

     Ciaglu è una molto gran città nella provincia del Catai, ed è del Gran Cane, e sono idoli;

     Chaglu is a very large city in the province of Cathay: under the Great Khan, and [the people] are idolaters;

   • 1516, Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando furioso, Gabriel Giolito (1551), Canto XIX, p.85:

     Queſta, ſe non ſapete, Angelica era ¶ del Gran Can del Catai la figlia altiera.

     This, if you don't know, was Angelica ¶ haughty daughter of the Great Khan of Cathay.

See also

• Cina

References

1. ↑ Sinor, D. (1998) "The Kitan and the Kara Kitay" in History of Civilizations of Central Asia, Vol. IV, Pt. I, UNESCO, p. 241.

Portuguese

Etymology

See Italian

Alternative forms

• Cathay, Cathai, Catay (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.ˈtaj/
• Homophone: catai

Proper noun

Catai m

1. (historical) Cathay (historical name of northern China)

Portuguese

Verb

catai

1. Second-person plural (vós) affirmative imperative of catar