), ▁S init ic ▁( the ▁Chinese ▁language ▁family ). ▁ ▁Heb rew : ▁Sin ▁ ▁C ath ay ▁▁ ▁This ▁group ▁of ▁names ▁der ives ▁from ▁Kh itan , ▁an ▁eth nic ▁group ▁that ▁origin ated ▁in ▁Man ch uria ▁and ▁conquer ed ▁parts ▁of ▁Northern ▁China ▁early ▁t enth ▁century ▁forming ▁the ▁L iao ▁dynast y , ▁and ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁century ▁domin ated ▁Central ▁Asia ▁as ▁the ▁K ara ▁Kh itan ▁Khan ate . ▁Due ▁to ▁long ▁period ▁of ▁dom ination ▁of ▁Northern ▁China ▁and ▁then ▁Central ▁Asia ▁by ▁these ▁nom adic ▁conquer ors , ▁the ▁name ▁Kh itan ▁become ▁associated ▁with ▁China ▁to ▁the ▁people ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁the ▁north western ▁region . ▁ ▁Muslim ▁histor ians ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁K ara ▁Kh itan ▁state ▁as ▁Kh it ay ▁or ▁Kh it ai ; ▁they ▁may ▁have ▁adopted ▁this ▁form ▁of ▁" K h itan " ▁via ▁the ▁U yg h urs ▁of ▁Ko cho ▁in ▁whose ▁language ▁the ▁final ▁- n ▁or ▁- ń ▁became ▁- y . ▁The ▁name ▁was ▁then ▁introduced ▁to ▁medieval ▁and ▁early ▁modern ▁Europe ▁through ▁Islam ic ▁and ▁Russian ▁sources . ▁In ▁English ▁and ▁in ▁several ▁other ▁European ▁languages , ▁the ▁name ▁" C ath ay " ▁was ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁transl ations ▁of ▁the ▁advent ures ▁of ▁Marco ▁Pol o , ▁which ▁used ▁this ▁word ▁for ▁northern ▁China . ▁ ▁W ords ▁related ▁to ▁Kh it ay ▁are ▁still ▁used ▁in ▁many ▁Turk ic ▁and ▁S lav ic ▁languages