Sheikh Means an Elder
A sheikh is an Arab leader or religious scholar. The Arabic word originally meant simply an old man.
A sheikh is a tribal leader, ruler or religious scholar in Arab societies. Arabic *shaykh* means an old man, from a root meaning to grow old — the title rests on the assumption that age brings authority, exactly like English *elder*, *senator* from Latin *senex*, and *alderman*. The 1921 film *The Sheik* with Rudolph Valentino briefly made the word American slang for a dashing seducer, a sense now entirely dead.
- A tribal leader. *The sheikh of the tribe.*
- A religious scholar. *A learned sheikh.*
- Sheikhdom — the territory. *A sheikhdom.*
- Arabic — *shaykh*, an old man. *The source.*
- Elder — the English parallel. *An elder.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | sheikh / sheik | A sheikh. |
| Plural | sheikhs | Sheikhs. |
| Noun | sheikhdom | A sheikhdom. |
| Arabic | shaykh | An old man. |
| Parallel | elder | An elder. |
- The sheikh received the delegation.Leader.
- Shaykh means an old man.Etymology.
- Elder follows the same logic.Parallel.
Titles built on age
- Sheikh — Arabic, an old man
- Elder — English, from *old*
- Senator — Latin *senex*, an old man
- Alderman — Old English, an elder man
- Presbyter — Greek for elder, and the source of *priest*
Arabic *shaykh*, an old man or chief, from *shakha*, to grow old.
What does sheikh mean literally?
An old man. The title assumes that age carries authority, like English elder or Latin senator.
Why was sheik once American slang?
The 1921 Valentino film The Sheik made it briefly mean a romantically irresistible man. The sense has since disappeared.