Nazir
/nəˈzɪər/noun
A supervisor, administrator, or official, especially in historical Islamic and South Asian usage.
Did you know?Nazir comes from Arabic nāẓir, “an observer” or “overseer,” from the same root associated with looking and considering; in Islamic administration, a Nazir could supervise institutions, estates, or religious endowments.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Semitic
*n-ẓ-r
“To watch, observe, or regard”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
naẓara
“He looked at, observed, or considered”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
nāẓir
“An observer, supervisor, or overseer”
Medieval Islamic Period
Arabic
nāẓir
“An official appointed to supervise an institution, estate, or religious endowment”
19th Century
Anglo-Indian English
nazir
“A court, government, or estate administrator”
Modern English
English
Nazir
“A supervisor or administrator, chiefly in historical or South Asian contexts”