Plural of begum; Muslim or Indian women of high social rank, often wives or widows of rulers or nobility.
From Urdu begum, from Turkish begüm, feminine form of beg (a chief or governor). The word traveled through Ottoman Turkish into South Asian languages where it became a title for noble and royal women.
Begum became such a prestigious title in India and Pakistan that it's still used today—when you hear about a 'begum' in modern news about South Asian royalty or politics, you're hearing a word that's traveled 500+ years through empires and languages, adapting to each culture it touched.
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