Etymology Map
Back to all words

Effendi

4 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a title of respect for an educated or official man in Ottoman-era lands

Where does the word "effendi" come from? It comes from Greek authentēs, passing through Byzantine Greek and Ottoman Turkish before entering English (1610s).

1
Stage 1 of 4
authentēs
Greek · ancient
"master, doer"
one who acts on his own authority; the root of English 'authentic'
2
Stage 2 of 4
afendis
Byzantine Greek · medieval
"lord, master"
spoken Greek of Constantinople softened the word to 'afendis', lord
3
Stage 3 of 4
efendi
Ottoman Turkish · 1400s
"sir, gentleman"
a title for scholars, clerics and officials; Turkey's 1934 law abolishing titles ended its official use
4
Stage 4 of 4
effendi
English · 1610s
"a Turkish gentleman"
in British-ruled Egypt it came to mean the Western-educated middle class of clerks and officials
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Effendi’s story begins in Greek: authentēs meant “master, doer.” One who acts on his own authority; the root of English 'authentic'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Byzantine Greek as afendis. Spoken Greek of Constantinople softened the word to 'afendis', lord. From there it passed into Ottoman Turkish as efendi by 1400s. A title for scholars, clerics and officials; Turkey's 1934 law abolishing titles ended its official use. It reached English by 1610s as effendi. In British-ruled Egypt it came to mean the Western-educated middle class of clerks and officials. Today, effendi means a title of respect for an educated or official man in Ottoman-era lands.