- published: 27 Feb 2016
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Emir (pronounced [eˈmiːr], Arabic: أمير ʾAmīr (Feminine: Emira, أميرة ʾAmīrah), meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world. Emirs are usually considered high-ranking Sheikhs, but in monarchic states the term is also used for Princes, with "Emirate" being analogous to a sovereign principality.
While Emir is a common transliteration in English and other languages, the form Amir is found for numerous compounds (e.g. admiral) and names. Transliteration differs depending on the sources consulted.
Amir, meaning "chieftain" or "commander", is derived from the Arabic root '-m-r, "command". Originally simply meaning commander or leader, usually in reference to a group of people, it came to be used as a title for governors or rulers, usually in smaller states, and in modern Arabic is analogous to the English word "prince". The word entered English in 1593, from the French émir. It was one of the titles or names of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.