English
Khitan small script
From Khitan + small + script, from a calque of Chinese 小字 (xiǎozì, “small script”), in reference to the script's comparatively small number of characters when contrasted with Khitan large script.
A compound of Khitan + small + script
Khitan 𘱿𘲫
English Khitan
Proto-Germanic *smalaz
Proto-West Germanic *smal
Old English smæl ‘narrow’
Middle English smal ‘small’
English small
Proto-Indo-European *(s)kréybʰeti
…
Latin scrībō ‘to write’
Latin scrīptum ‘something written’
Old French escrit ‘writing(s)’
Middle English scrit ‘writing; document’
English script
The story
From Khitan + small + script, from a calque of Chinese 小字 (xiǎozì, “small script”), in reference to the script's comparatively small number of characters when contrasted with Khitan large script.
Today it means
name A logographic and syllabaric script, used to write the Khitan language.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Khitan small script