huzoor

English

Etymology

Ultimately from Arabic حُضُور (ḥuḍūr).

Noun

huzoor (plural huzoors)

1. (dated, India) A potentate; often used as a term of respect.
   • 1903, Flora Annie Steel, In the Guardianship of God, 2019, Read Books, unnumbered page,

     "What are you using to thread the flowers?" I asked curiously.

     "A woman's hair, Huzoor. It is always the hair of a woman who has died, but whose child has lived, that is used for Mai Âtma's crown. Shall I tell the story, Huzoor?"

     "Was she beautiful?" I asked irrelevantly, why I know not.

     "I do not know, Huzoor," he replied. "Am I not blind?"

   • 1924, E. M. Forster, A Passage to India, Penguin, published 2005, page 15:

     ‘Here is my card. Call me a tonga.’
     ‘Huzoor, all are at the Club.’

   • 2015, Madhulika Liddle, Crimson City, Hachette, unnumbered page,

     Muzaffar's instinctive rising to his feet to greet the man seemed to discomfit the man even more. ‘Huzoor,’ he said, with a gulp, ‘I beg you - do not inconvenience yourself -’ and, for no reason that Muzaffar could see, he flushed a dull scarlet. ‘I took the liberty of asking the chowkidar for the huzoor’s address,’ he explained, even though Muzaffar had not asked.

Further reading

• Henry Yule, A[rthur] C[oke] Burnell (1903) “huzoor”, in William Crooke, editor, Hobson-Jobson […] , London: John Murray, […], page 431.