Burra
/ˈbʊrə/noun
An Anglo-Indian term meaning big, large, or important, especially in phrases such as “burra sahib.”
Did you know?In British India, “burra sahib” literally meant “big master” and became a title for a senior European official, revealing how language encoded colonial hierarchy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*werdʰ-
“To grow or become greater; the reconstructed ancestral root associated with Sanskrit growth-words.”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
vṛddha
“Grown, increased, old, or enlarged.”
Middle Indo-Aryan
Prakrit
vaḍḍha
“Increased, grown, or enlarged; a later development of Sanskrit vṛddha.”
Medieval Indo-Aryan
Hindustani
baṛā
“Big, great, important, or senior.”
18th–19th Century
Anglo-Indian English
burra
“An English rendering of Hindi baṛā, used especially in titles such as “burra sahib.””
Modern English
English
burra
“A chiefly historical or Anglo-Indian term meaning big, important, or senior.”
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