Word of the Day for Saturday, November 22, 2008
nabob \NAY-bob\, noun:
1. a native ruler in India in the Mogul empire; by extension, a person from India who made a fortune there
2. a very wealthy and prominent person; mogul
B.O. kowtowed to every liberal and socialist nabob both here and abroad in his quest to pad his coffers for his presidential bid.
--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog
.
.
by 1612, "deputy governor in Mogul Empire," Anglo-Indian, from Hindi nabab, from Arabic nuwwab, honorific plural of na'ib "viceroy, deputy." This word was also used of Europeans who came home from India having made a fortune there, hence "very rich man" (1760).
No comments:
Post a Comment