pasha

noun

1. a title, placed after the name, formerly held by high officials in countries under Turkish rule.

noun

1. (formerly) a provincial governor or other high official of the Ottoman Empire or the modern Egyptian kingdom: placed after a name when used as a title

Turkish honorary title formerly given to officers of high rank, 1640s, from Turkish pasha, earlier basha, from bash “head, chief” (no clear distinction between -b- and -p- in Turkish), from Old Persian pati- “master,” from PIE *poti- (see potent) + root of shah. Earlier in English as bashaw (1530s).