Where Does the Word Memsahib Come from?

Sophia Al-Mansoor
Sophia Al-Mansoor
• • 5 min read

Origin and History of the Word It Is Well Known That Memsahib Is a Combination of the English Word Ma'am (Derived from the Word Madam) and the Arabic Word...

Where Does the Word Memsahib Come from?

Origin and History of the Word
It is well known that memsahib is a combination of the English word ma'am (derived from the word madam) and the Arabic word sahib (sir).

What does memsahib mean?

: a white foreign woman of high social status living in India especially : the wife of a British official.

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What language is memsahib?

Memsaab or Memsahib, a variation of Sahib, an Arabic term, which is also a loanword in several languages. Memsaab is a title for a woman in a position of authority and/or the wife of a Sahib.

Sophia Al-Mansoor

Sophia Al-Mansoor

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