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