Catai

Catai, also rendered Cathay, is a historical name used in medieval Europe and parts of the Islamic world to designate China or the Chinese empire. The form derives from the Khitan people and their Liao Dynasty, and in various languages the place-name appears as Katay, Catai, Kathay, or Cathay. European writers adopted the term through Latin and vernacular translations of travel and official chronicles, with its popularity boosted by accounts such as those attributed to Marco Polo.

Geographically, Catai did not refer to a single, fixed political unit. In different sources it signified the Chinese realm as known to outsiders, often encompassing the northern and central regions under various Chinese dynasties. Its borders and scope shifted with changing political realities and the observers’ limited knowledge of interior China. By the late medieval and early modern periods, Cathay/Catai was commonly used as a general label for China rather than a precise administrative region.

The term gradually declined in official and scholarly use as Western languages adopted China, Qing, and other modern identifiers. Today, Catai/Cathay is primarily encountered in historical writing, literary contexts, and discussions of medieval cartography and travel literature. It also appears in cultural or branding contexts as a historical or exotic reference to China rather than as a current political designation.