خانم
One of the female alternatives (a 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 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. The compound Galin Khanum - literally, “lady bride” - was the title accorded to the principal noble wife of a Qajar.
