(Sanskrit चित्त) This Sanskrit word has a variety of meanings in Asian traditions, so the precise meaning can vary depending upon the context in which it is used. In general use, it refers to mind. Literal meanings include wish, thought, ninth mansion, thinking, aim, intention, reason, observing, imagining, intelligence, mind, reflecting, attending, memory, heart, knowledge.
The word chit you see in other types of words, such as bodhicitta. Chit means mind in its basic sense.