Definition

Proper noun 1. A Uralic language: Khanty is a language belonging to the Ugric branch of the Uralic language family. It is spoken by the Khanty people. 2. An ethnic group: The Khanty are an Indigenous people traditionally living in northwestern Siberia, specifically in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug region of Russia.

Usage Examples

• As a language:
  • Linguists study Khanty to understand the Ugric branch of Uralic languages.
  • Fewer young people are fluent in Khanty today.
• As an ethnic group (often used attributively):
  • The Khanty have a rich cultural heritage based on fishing, hunting, and reindeer herding.
  • We visited a Khanty settlement along the Ob River.

Advanced Usage

• The term Ostyak was historically used to refer to the Khanty people and their language, but Khanty is now the preferred and standard term.
• In linguistic contexts, Khanty is often discussed alongside its closest relative, Mansi, with the two forming the Ob-Ugric languages.

Variants and Related Words

• Ostyak (n.): An older, now less common name for the Khanty people or language.
• Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (n.): The federal subject of Russia where most Khanty people live.
• Ob-Ugric (adj.): Referring to the language group comprising Khanty and Mansi.

Synonyms

• (For the people) Ostyak (historical)
• (For the language) Ostyak (historical)

Notes on Meaning

The word "Khanty" refers primarily to a specific ethnic group and their language. It is not typically used in idioms or phrasal verbs. Its usage is largely confined to anthropological, geographical, and linguistic contexts.

Noun

1. a Ugric language (related to Hungarian) spoken by the Ostyak
2. a member of the nomadic Ugrian people living in northwestern Siberia (east of the Urals)