memsahib

mem·sa·hib

M m

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [mem-sah-ib, -eeb]
- /ˈmɛmˌsɑ ɪb, -ib/
- /ˈmem.sɑːb/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [mem-sah-ib, -eeb]
- /ˈmɛmˌsɑ ɪb, -ib/

Definitions of memsahib word

noun memsahib (formerly, in India) a term of respect for a married European woman. 1
noun memsahib A married white or upper-class woman (often used as a respectful form of address by nonwhites). 1
countable noun memsahib Memsahib was used to refer to or address white women in India, especially during the period of British rule, or sometimes to refer to or address upper-class Indian women. 0
noun memsahib (formerly in India) a term of respect used of a European married woman 0
noun memsahib lady; madam 0
noun memsahib (India, historical, as a respectful term of address) A white European woman in colonial India. 0

See all 6 definitions of memsahib

Information block about the term

Origin of memsahib

First appearance:

before 1855

One of the 30% newest English words

1855-60; < Hindi, equivalent to mem (< English ma'am) + sāhib master (< Arabic ṣāḥib)

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Memsahib

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Memsahib

memsahib popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 63% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 57% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

memsahib usage trend in Literature

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