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Ni·zam

(nĭ-zäm, -zăm, nī-)

1. Used formerly as a title for rulers of Hyderabad, India.

2. The Turkish army, especially in the 1800s.

[Urdu nizām(-almulk), governor (of the empire), from Arabic niẓām, order, arrangement, from naẓama, to arrange; see nm in the Appendix of Semitic roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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