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na·bob

(nābŏb′)

1. A governor in India under the Mughal Empire. Also called nawab.

2. A person of wealth and prominence.

[Hindi nawāb, nabāb, from Arabic nuwwāb, pl. of nā'ib, deputy, active participle of nāba, to represent; see nwb 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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