Agha (title)

{{Short description|Ottoman honorific title for civilian or military officers}}

Image:OfficerPashaSulimanya1820.jpg Pasha, Sheikh Mahmoud of Sulaymaniyah of Baban principality, Kurdistan, 1820Narrative of Residence in Koordistan and on the Site of Ancient Nineveh, pages 66 and 214, Claudius James Rich, Published 1836, J. Duncan, 860 pages]]

Agha ({{langx|tr|ağa}}; {{langx|ota|آغا}}; {{langx|fa|آقا|āghā}}; "chief, master, lord"{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=aga |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |website=Etymonline.com |access-date=2017-06-30}}) is an honorific 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.{{cite web |title=ağa |url=https://sozluk.gov.tr/ |website=Türk Dil Kurumu Sözlükleri |access-date=10 July 2022}}

Etymology

The word agha entered English from Turkish, and the Turkish word comes from the Old Turkic aqa, meaning "elder brother".{{cite web|author=Turkish |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/aga |title=Aga | Define Aga at Dictionary.com |website=Dictionary.reference.com |access-date=2017-06-30}} It is an equivalent of Mongolian word aqa or aka.{{cite web|url=http://www.nisanyansozluk.com/?k=a%C4%9Fa&x=0&y=0 |title=*Etimoloji: Kökenbilim, kelimelerin aslını ve evrimini inceleyen disiplin ~ EYun étymon "asıl" + logeía "bilim".|website=Nisanyansozluk.com |access-date=2017-06-30}}

Other uses

"Agha" is nowadays used as a common Persian honorific title for men, the equivalent of "mister" in English.Khani, S., and R. Yousefi. "The study of address terms and their translation from Persian to English." (2014). 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, noble, gentry and chivalric ranks in West, Central, South Asia and North Africa TemplateImperial, royal and noble ranks

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