Khanum

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Khanum (Persian: خانم ) is another female derivation of Khan, notably in Turkic languages, for a Khan's Queen-consort, or in some traditions extended as a courtesy title (a bit like Lady for women not married to a Lord, which is the situation in modern Turkish) to the wives of holders of various other (lower) titles; in Afghanistan, for example, it ended up as the common term for 'Miss', any unmarried woman. In the modern Kazakh language, Khatun is a derogatory term for women, while Khanum has a respectful meaning, which is also true in Mongolia and in the older Mongolian language. In Pakistan, both Khanum and Khatun are used for women as title or respectful form of address.