vizier

English

Alternative forms
  • vezir, vezîr (stricter transliterations of Ottoman Turkish)
  • vazir (via Persian instead of Ottoman Turkish)
  • wasir, wazir, wazīr (directly from Arabic)
  • vizir, vizeer, guazil (less common forms)

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish وزیر‎ (vezir) (Turkish vezir) (plausibly via French visir, vizir or Spanish visir), from Arabic وَزِير‎ (wazīr, “helper, aide, minister”, literally “one who bears (the burden of office)”).[1] Doublet of wazir.

Pronunciation

Noun

vizier (plural viziers)

  1. (history) A high-ranking official or minister in an Islamic government, especially in the Ottoman Empire.
  2. (history) The highest-ranking official or minister in ancient Egypt or Ebla; a chief administrator or a chancellor.
  3. (history) An ancient Mesopotamian 𒈛 (sukkal).
    • 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 174:
      As Inanna prepares to descend she fastens the seven divine laws to her side, and as she walks toward the netherworld she speaks to her vizier, Ninshubur.
  4. vicegerent, viceroy
  5. (chess) A fairy chess piece that can only be moved one space up, down, left or right.

Derived terms

Descendants
  • → Irish: visír
  • → Welsh: fisir

Translations

See also

References
  1. “vizier”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

Dutch

Pronunciation
  • Audio(file)

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch visiere, from Old French visiere.

Noun

vizier n (plural vizieren, diminutive viziertje n)

  1. visor, a removable protective guard on a (knight's) helmet
  2. backsight, a visual aiming aid on the barrel of a gun

Etymology 2

From Middle French visir, from Ottoman Turkish وزیر‎ (vezir), from Arabic وَزِير‎ (wazīr, “helper, aide, minister”).

Noun

vizier m (plural viziers or vizieren, diminutive viziertje n)

  1. A high-ranking official or minister in an Islamic government, especially in the Ottoman Empire.
Derived terms

References
  • M. J. Koenen & J. Endepols, Verklarend Handwoordenboek der Nederlandse Taal (tevens Vreemde-woordentolk), Groningen, Wolters-Noordhoff, 1969 (26th edition) [Dutch dictionary in Dutch]
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