nabob

The story

1. Arabic · derived fromنُوَّاب
2. Classical Persian · derived fromنَوَّاب
3. Portuguese · derived fromnababo
4. Hindustani · derived from
5. English todaynabob

In colloquial usage in English since 1612, from a corruption of Hindustani नवाब (navāb) / نواب (navāb, “nawab”), perhaps via Portuguese nababo, from Classical Persian نَوَّاب (nawwāb), from Arabic نُوَّاب (nuwwāb), the honorific plural of نَائِب (nāʔib, “deputy”).

Words from the same roots