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Where does the word "pasha" come from? It comes from Ottoman Turkish pasha, and was adopted directly into English (1640s).
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Where does the word "pasha" come from? It comes from Ottoman Turkish pasha, and was adopted directly into English (1640s).
Pasha’s story begins in Ottoman Turkish: pasha meant “a high-ranking official title.” A high-ranking title for a military or civil official. It reached English by 1640s as pasha. Ottoman rank was shown by the number of horse-tails on a pasha's standard. Today, pasha means a high-ranking title used historically in the Ottoman Empire and Egypt.
- Stage 1 · Ottoman Turkish · medieval pasha "a high-ranking official title", a high-ranking title for a military or civil official.
- Stage 2 · English · 1640s pasha "a high-ranking Ottoman official", Ottoman rank was shown by the number of horse-tails on a pasha's standard.