Agha (; ; ; "chief, master, lord") is an

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an Honorary title (academic), h ...

title for a civilian or officer, or often part of such title. In the Ottoman times, some court functionaries and leaders of organizations like bazaar or the janissary units were entitled to the ''agha'' title. In rural communities, this term is used for people who own considerable lands and are influential in their community. Regardless of a rural community, this title is also used for any man who is influential or respected.

Etymology

The word ''agha'' entered English from Turkish, and the Turkish word comes from the

Old Turkic Old Siberian Turkic, generally known as East Old Turkic and often shortened to Old Turkic, was a Siberian Turkic language spoken around East Turkistan and Mongolia. It was first discovered in inscriptions originating from the Second Turkic Kh ...

''aqa'', meaning "elder brother". It is an equivalent of Mongolian word ''aqa'' or ''aka''.

Other uses

"Agha" is nowadays used as a common Persian honorific title for men, the equivalent of "mister" in English. The corresponding honorific term for women is khanum which is also of Turkic origin. However, the title is considered a baron in comparison to European nobility.Imperial, royal and noble ranks Wikipedia Page

References

{{Authority control Court titles Government of the Ottoman Empire Ottoman titles Titles in Iran Titles of national or ethnic leadership Titles in Lebanon Military ranks of the Ottoman Empire Janissaries Titles in Bosnia and Herzegovina during Ottoman period

Etymology

Other uses

See also

References