Baba ("father, grandfather, wise old man, sir") [1] is a Persian honorific term, [2] used in several West Asian, South Asian and African cultures.
It is used as a mark of respect to refer to Hindu ascetics ( sannyasis ) and Sikh gurus, as a suffix or prefix to their names, e.g. Sai Baba of Shirdi, Baba Ramdevji, etc. [1] [3]
Baba is also a title accorded to Alevi clerics of Shia Islam, also among Sunni leaders and heads of certain Sufi orders, as in Baba Bulleh Shah, Baba Farid, and Rehman Baba. [1]
One of the most revered high priests in Samaritan tradition is Baba Rabba, literally "The Great Father". [4] He lived c. 3rd–4th century C.E.
Baba is also the title used for the Israeli Kabbalistic rabbis of the Abuhatzeira family, descendants of Rabbi Israel Abuhatzeira, originally from Morocco, who was called the Baba Sali, and his brother Isaac Abuhatzeira, the Baba Chaki.
The term was also adopted in Malaysia as an honorific of respect to address Chinese people born in the British Straits Settlement. [5] [2]
Baba is also the familiar word for "father" in many languages (see mama and papa); in India it has even been adapted to address male children. [2] Baba also means grandmother in many countries, e.g., short for babushka (Russian for grandmother).
The Reverend is an honorific style given before the names of certain Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. The Reverend is correctly called a style, but is sometimes referred to as a title, form of address, or title of respect. The style is also sometimes used by leaders in other religions such as Judaism and Buddhism.
Shri is a Sanskrit term denoting resplendence, wealth and prosperity, primarily used as an honorific.
In many historical societies, the position of kingship carried a sacral meaning and was identical with that of a high priest and judge. Divine kingship is related to the concept of theocracy, although a sacred king need not necessarily rule through his religious authority; rather, the temporal position itself has a religious significance behind it. The monarch may be divine, become divine, or represent divinity to a greater or lesser extent.
The history of theology has manifestations in many different cultures and religious traditions.
An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It is also often conflated with systems of honorific speech in linguistics, which are grammatical or morphological ways of encoding the relative social status of speakers. Honorifics can be used as prefixes or suffixes depending on the appropriate occasion and presentation in accordance with style and customs.
In the English language, an honorific is a form of address conveying esteem, courtesy or respect. These can be titles prefixing a person's name, e.g.: Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Mx, Sir, Dame, Dr, Cllr, Lady, or Lord, or other titles or positions that can appear as a form of address without the person's name, as in Mr President, General, Captain, Father, Doctor, or Earl.
Baghatur is a historical Turkic and Mongol honorific title, in origin a term for "hero" or "valiant warrior". The Papal envoy Plano Carpini compared the title with the equivalent of European Knighthood.
Among the honorifics in Judaism, there are several traditional honorifics for the dead which are used when naming and speaking of the deceased. Different honorifics might be applied depending on the particular status of the deceased. These honorifics are frequently found on gravestones, on memorial walls inside the sanctuary of synagogues, in speeches, and in writing such as in obituaries.
Israel Abuhatzeira, known as the Baba Sali (1889–1984) was a leading Moroccan Sephardic rabbi and kabbalist who was renowned for his alleged ability to work miracles through his prayers. His burial place in Netivot, Israel has become a shrine for prayers and petitioners.
The Japanese language makes use of a system of honorific speech, called keishō (敬称), which includes honorific suffixes and prefixes when referring to others in a conversation. Suffixes are often gender-specific at the end of names, while prefixes are attached to the beginning of many nouns. Honorific suffixes also indicate the speaker's level and refer an individual's relationship and are often used alongside other components of Japanese honorific speech.
In Tamil, honorifics governs daily speech and register of both written and spoken communication. Traditionally, Tamil has been classified into two registers viz செந்தமிழ் (Centamiḻ) meaning 'classical' or 'pure ' Tamil and கொடுந்தமிழ் (Koṭuntamiḻ) meaning 'corrupt' Tamil. A huge feature of this difference is honorifics. Tamil honorifics usually are suffixes, although prefixes are not uncommon.
Shah Inayat Qadri Shattari was a Punjabi Sufi scholar, saint and philosopher of the Qadri Shattari silsila (lineage). He mostly wrote his philosophical works in Persian. Shah Inayat Qadiri is famous as the spiritual guide of the universal Punjabi poets Bulleh Shah and Waris Shah.
Akhund is a Persian title or surname for Islamic scholars, common in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Azerbaijan. Other names for similar Muslim Scholar include Sheikh and Mullah.
The Korean language has a system of linguistic honorifics that reflects the social status of participants. Speakers use honorifics to indicate their social relationship with the addressee and/or subject of the conversation, concerning their age, social status, gender, degree of intimacy, and situation.
Bhante, sometimes also Bhadanta, is a respectful title used to address Buddhist monks, nuns, and superiors, especially in the Theravada tradition. In English, the term is often translated as Venerable.
Hazrat, Hadrat, Hadhrat, or Hadrah is a common Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Iranian, Afghan, and honorific Arabic and Turkish title used to honour a person. It literally denotes and translates to "presence, appearance."
There are a number of honorifics in Judaism that vary depending on the status of, and the relationship to, the person to whom one is referring.
-ji is a gender-neutral honorific used as a suffix in many languages of the Indian subcontinent, such as Hindi, Nepali and Punjabi languages and their dialects prevalent in northern India, north-west and central India.
Indian honorifics are honorific titles or appendices to names used in the Indian subcontinent, covering formal and informal social, commercial, and religious relationships. These may take the form of prefixes, suffixes or replacements.
Mister, usually written in its contracted form Mr. or Mr, is a commonly used English honorific for men without a higher honorific, or professional title, or any of various designations of office. The title Mr derived from earlier forms of master, as the equivalent female titles Mrs, Miss, and Ms all derived from earlier forms of mistress. Master is sometimes still used as an honorific for boys and young men.