祁連

Etymology
Qilian is said to be as a Xiongnu word meaning "sky" according to, a Tang Dynasty commentator on the .

Further etymology uncertain:
 * proposes cognation with and, transcriptions of a Xiongnu word for "sky", which he also relates to ;
 * objects to Yan Shigu's statement that 祁連 was a Xiongnu word; he reconstructs 祁連's pronunciation around 121 BCE as *gɨ-lian and thinks that (>  *gjän) "looks like the same etymon".