See also: شیخ and سیخ

Arabic edit

Etymology edit

From the root ش ي خ (š-y-ḵ), related to the verb شَاخَ (šāḵa, to age, to grow old).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

شَيْخ (šayḵm (plural شُيُوخ (šuyūḵ) or أَشْيَاخ (ʔašyāḵ) or مَشْيَخَة (mašyaḵa) or مَشَايِخ (mašāyiḵ))

  1. old man
  2. elderly gentleman, elder
  3. sheik, chief, chieftain, patriarch
  4. senator
  5. sheik; Dr.; professor (title of professors and spiritual leaders)
  6. sir (respectful title of address)
  7. master (someone outstanding or excellent)
    شَيْخُ الشَّبابšayḵu š-šabābthe greatest of all guys (literally, “the master of youths”)

Declension edit

Descendants edit

References edit

  • Wehr, Hans (1979), “شيخ”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN