Zemindar
/ˈzeɪmɪndɑːr/noun
A landholder, especially one who collected revenue from tenants under the former land-tenure systems of India.
Did you know?The first half ultimately connects with the ancient Indo-European root for “earth,” linking zemindar to English words such as human, humble, and humus.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰéǵʰōm
“Earth or soil, the ground beneath human life”
Ancient Iranian
Avestan
zam-
“Earth or land”
Middle Persian
Middle Persian
zamīg
“Land or earth”
Medieval Persian
Persian
zamīn-dār
“Land-holder; zamīn means “land” and dār means “holder””
Medieval India
Hindi/Urdu
zamīndār
“A landholder or revenue collector within regional agrarian systems”
17th–18th Century
Anglo-Indian English
zemindar
“A recognized landholder or intermediary responsible for collecting revenue”
Modern English
English
zemindar
“A historical South Asian landholder, especially one associated with revenue collection”