sharif

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a descendant of the prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima, traditionally entitled to a rank of nobility

   The sharif traced his lineage through Fatima and the Prophet's family.

2. 2
   noun

   more broadly, a noble, chief, ruler, or person of political preeminence in an Islamic society

   The Arabian sharif exercised authority through both ancestry and tribal allegiance.

Borrowed from Arabic sharif, 'noble, illustrious, or highborn,' from the Arabic root sh-r-f associated with honor and elevation. Spellings such as sherif, shereef, and scherif reflect different routes of transliteration into European languages.

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