maharaja

ma·ha·ra·jah or ma·ha·ra·ja  (mäh-räj, -zh)

n.

1. A king or prince in India ranking above a rajah, especially the sovereign of one of the former native states.

2. Used as a title for such a king or prince.

---

[Sanskrit mahrja : mah-, great; see meg- in Indo-European roots + rj, king (variant of rj, king; see reg- in Indo-European roots).]

Word History: Countless Indian restaurants are named Maharajah, from a Sanskrit word (mahrja) that means "great king." The element mah- is related to Greek mega- and Latin magnus, both meaning the same thing as the Sanskrit. All three forms derive from Indo-European *meg-, "great." This root became *mik- in Germanic, where an adjective, *mikila-, "great," was formed to it. This became mikils in Gothic, and micel, pronounced (mchl), in Old English. The Old English word survives today in much (shortened from Middle English muchel) and in the family name Mitchell.

---

maharaja or maharajah

Noun

the head of one of the royal families which formerly ruled parts of India [Hindi: great raja]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

maharaja - a great raja; a Hindu prince or king in India ranking above a raja maharajah prince - a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)