The Lanikaz were one of seven original tribes that made up the Kimek confederation, along with the Imur[2]/Imi,[3]Imak[2][3]Tatar,Kipchak,Bayandur, andAjlad.[4] The Kimek tribes originated in the Central Asian steppes and had migrated to the territory of present-dayKazakhstan.[2] The Lanikaz, as part of the Kimek, were mentioned byGardizi.[5] Their ethnonym may be derived fromalan-i-kaz(ar) meaning "KhazarAlans".[6]V. F. Minorsky rendered the name asNilkaz,[7] S. Agajanov asNilkar.[2]S. M. Akhindjanov connected the nameNilkaz to the Nilkan clan of the Mongolian tribe ofDjalayir.[7] S. Divitçioğlu rendered itNilqas.[8]
Y. Zuev calls the spelling "Lanikaz" an 'obviously distorted name of the Kimek tribe in the Gardizi list', and corrects it toLaktan, which Zuev further links to Middle Chinese 駱駝*lɑk̚ dɑ "camel". The location of the Kimek Laktan 落坦 (Luotan < MC: *lɑk̚-tʰɑnX)[a], before the Kimek's return to the area ofBlack Irtysh, in the Chinese annals is described as east from the lakeKülün on the northern left bank of the riverArgun.[9][10][11] Zuev observes thatChinese annals contain a 'number of messages about congratulatory visits of Kimeks-Laktans toChang'an, attesting to the political importance of this tribe. They do not contain any other information.'[12]
^Yu. Zuev,"Early Türks: Essays on history and ideology" (2002), p. 135
^Ouyang Xiu et al.Xin Tangshu "vol. 219",section "Shiwei" quote: "北有大山，山外曰大室韋，瀕於室建河，河出俱倫，迆而東；河南有蒙瓦部，其北落坦部". translation: "In the north there are great mountains, beyond the mountains are the GreatShiwei, they are situated next to the river Shijian; the river flows from [lake] Julun, windingly eastwards; south of the river are theMengwa tribe, north of them were theLuotan tribe."
^Jiu Tangshu, "vol. 199b",section Shiwei quote: "其北大山之北有大室韋部落，其部落傍望建河居。其河源出突厥東北界俱輪泊，屈曲東流，經西室韋界，又東經大室韋界，又東經蒙兀室韋之北，落俎室韋之南". Translation: "In the north, there are great mountains, north of which there is the Great Shiwei tribe; that tribe dwells next to theWangjian river. That river's originates from Lake Julun north-east of theTujue's boundary, flowing windingly eastwards; it borders the West Shiwei, further east it borders the Great Shiwei, further east it flows north of theMengwu Shiwei [and] south of theLuozu Shiwei."
