- published: 14 Jan 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.
The Arison family is an Israeli-American business family. Moshe and Sarah Arisohn immigrated to Turkish-ruled Palestine from Romania in 1882, and were among the founders of the town of Zikhron Ya'aqov. Their eldest son, Meir, is the father of Ted Arison.
A history of Arison's involvement in the cruise industry and the Carnival Cruise company can be found in Kristoffer Garin's book Devils on the Deep Blue Sea (Plume; 1 edition (Jun 27 2006). The global cruising industry is dominated by two companies, Carnival and Royal Caribbean. The latter too happens to be associated with an Israeli family – the Ofer brothers, who own a significant stake in Royal Caribbean.