memsahib
(India, historical, as a respectful term of address) A white European woman in colonial India.
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(India, historical, as a respectful term of address) A white European woman in colonial India.
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Show 1 more dictionary-style sense (imported)
A white European woman in colonial India.
Memsahib means: A white European woman in colonial India.. It is mainly Indian English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
memsahib means: A white European woman in colonial India.. Register: informal, Indian English. Often not understood outside its region; gloss the word on first use when writing for an international audience. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
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- sahibah73%
(India, archaic) A lady; a mistress; a female superior (used as a term of respect).
- sahab67%
Urdu/Hindi साहब / صاحب — "sir", "master" or "respected gentleman". Colonial-era origin: the British in India inherited the word from local Mughal-era usage where it was already a polite suffix and then redeployed it heavily in their own civil service ("the sahab is in his office"). Today still used in South Asian English as a respectful form of address, especially to bosses, officers, doctors and senior strangers; the feminine "memsahib" is its counterpart. Often appended to surnames the way ji is ("Khan-sahab"). Carries faint colonial baggage but remains widespread, particularly in older registers and government / military contexts.
- bibi65%
(India, obsolete) A European woman in British India; sometimes a married man's mistress.
- sahibji61%
(India) sahib (as a respectful term of address).