n. 1. A provincial governor in the Ottoman Empire. 2. a. A ruler of the former kingdom of Tunis. b. Used as the title for such a ruler. 3. Used formerly as a title for various Turkish and Egyptian dignitaries. [Turkish; akin to Old Turkic beg, chieftain, lord, perhaps of Middle Iranian origin (akin to Old Persian baga-, god, and Sanskrit bhagaḥ, gracious dispenser of wealth, lord, good fortune; see BHAGAVAD-GITA), or from Middle Chinese pεjk, lord, father's elder brother (source of Mandarin bó; from Old Chinese prâk, elder, clan head).] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.