begum

Where does the word "begum" come from? It comes from East Turkic beg + -um, passing through Persian and Urdu before entering English (1630s).

Begum’s story begins in East Turkic: beg + -um meant “lady, princess.” Beg meant "lord, chief"; -um was a feminine suffix of nobility. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Persian as begum. Feminine of the Turkic title 'beg', lord; Mughal royal women held the title. From there it passed into Urdu as begam by 1600s. Used as a title for women of high rank under the Mughal Empire. It reached English by 1630s as begum. Entered English through British contact with Mughal and later South Asian courts. Today, begum means a Muslim woman of high rank, or a title of respect for a married Muslim woman, especially in South Asia.

1. Stage 1 · East Turkic · medieval beg + -um "lady, princess", beg meant "lord, chief"; -um was a feminine suffix of nobility.
2. Stage 2 · Persian · medieval begum "noblewoman", feminine of the Turkic title 'beg', lord; Mughal royal women held the title.
3. Stage 3 · Urdu · 1600s begam "Muslim noblewoman", used as a title for women of high rank under the Mughal Empire.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1630s begum "title for a Muslim woman of rank", entered English through British contact with Mughal and later South Asian courts.