zamindar, n.

zamindar
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zamindar_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# zamindarnoun

## Earlier version

- zemindar in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zamindar mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zamindar. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

### How common is the noun zamindar?

About 0.6occurrences per million words in modern written English

1770 | 0.021
1780 | 0.035
1790 | 0.028
1800 | 0.021
1810 | 0.022
1820 | 0.024
1830 | 0.018
1840 | 0.038
1850 | 0.096
1860 | 0.15
1870 | 0.18
1880 | 0.22
1890 | 0.25
1900 | 0.23
1910 | 0.23
1920 | 0.27
1930 | 0.35
1940 | 0.49
1950 | 0.63
1960 | 0.74
1970 | 0.8
1980 | 0.74
1990 | 0.63
2000 | 0.57
2010 | 0.48

### How is the noun zamindar pronounced?

#### British English

/zəˈmiːndɑː/
zuh-MEEN-dar

#### U.S. English

/zəˈminˌdɑr/
zuh-MEEN-dar
/zəˌminˈdɑr/
zuh-meen-DAR

### Where does the noun zamindar come from?

Earliest known use

late 1600s

The earliest known use of the noun zamindar is in the late 1600s.

OED's earliest evidence for zamindar is from 1683, in a diary entry by William Hedges, merchant.

zamindar is of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from Urdu. Partly a borrowing from Persian.

Etymons: Urdu zamīndār; Persian zamīndār.

### Nearby entries

1. Zambian, adj. & n. 1959–
2. Zambianization, n. 1964–
3. Zambianize, v. 1964–
4. zambo, n. 1819–
5. Zamboni, n. 1965–
6. zambra, n. 1672–
7. zambuk, n. 1906–
8. zamburak, n. 1825–
9. zami, n. 1977–
10. Zamia, n. 1819–
11. zamindar, n.1683–
12. zamindari, n. & adj. 1742–
13. zamindarship, n. 1698–1902
14. zamioid, adj. 1860–
15. zamorin, n. 1582–
16. zampino, n. 1881–
17. zampogna, n. 1740–
18. zampone, n. 1860–
19. zamzawed, adj. 1743–
20. Zamzummim, n. 1530–
21. Zande, n. 1873–

## Etymology

### Summary

Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from Urdu. Partly a borrowing from Persian.
Etymons: Urdu zamīndār; Persian zamīndār.
< (i) Urdu zamīndār, zamīdār (pronounced with either /a/ or /æ/ in the first syllable),

and its etymon (ii) Persian zamīndār, zamīdar < zamīn land, ground (ultimately < the same Indo-European base as…
< (i) Urdu zamīndār, zamīdār (pronounced with either /a/ or /æ/ in the first syllable),

and its etymon (ii) Persian zamīndār, zamīdar < zamīn land, ground (ultimately < the same Indo-European base as classical Latin humus: see humus n.) + dār, forming nouns denoting a person who holds or possesses (see amildar n.).

### Notes

Forms with initial j- reflect a colloquial Urdu pronunciation.
In early use in English sometimes difficult to distinguish from jamadar n. (which is sometimes written in a similar way); confusion with this word may have influenced the α forms.

## Meaning & use

Now historical.

1. 1683–
   In South Asia: (in the Mughal period) a landholder responsible for paying land revenue for an area to the emperor and carrying out certain other duties in return for retaining a percentage of the amount collected; (later, under British rule) a landowner required to pay a fixed land tax directly to the government.
   The status of the zamindars and the extent of the lands they held varied considerably, some being extremely wealthy and powerful. The zamindari system continued to operate in some form in many parts of British India until Independence in 1947, although it was more prevalent in the north than in the south where the ryotwari system predominated (cf. ryotwari adj.).
   1. 1683

      > We lay at Bogatcher,..ye Gemidar invited us ashore, and shewed us Store of Deer, Peacocks, &c.

      W. Hedges, Diary (1887) vol. I. 77
   2. 1698

      > Paying the said Rent to the King as the Jemidars have successively done.

      Extract Consultations at Chuttanutte 31 October in W. Crooke, Yule & Burnell's Hobson-Jobson (1903) 980/1
   3. 1713

      > Mr. Edwd. Page... Jemendar.

      in H. Yule & A. C. Burnell, Hobson-Jobson (1886) at Zemindar
   4. 1764

      > To all governors, officers..and zemindars..in the provinces of Bengal.

      Annual Register, State Papers 188/1
   5. 1783

      > The Zemindars, who are the present great landholders of India, are likewise a sort of hereditary princes of the country.

      Annual Register 1781 Hist. Europe 177*/1
   6. 1845

      > The Zemindars had been formerly charged with the management of the police, and were held accountable for all acts of robbery or violence committed within their Zemindaris.

      H. H. Wilson, History of British India 1805–35 vol. I. vii. 401
   7. 1876

      > We have the overlord, the zemindar, no longer holding in feudal tenure and receiving customary dues and services, but turned by us into a rent-receiver.

      Journal of Statistical Society. vol. 39 652
   8. 1914

      > Joseph Henry Atkinson, Esq...for many years of Calcutta, Rajmahal, and Maldo, Contractor, Indigo Planter, and Zemindar.

      Times 27 November 1/1
   9. 1978

      > East Bengal had (until shortly after independence) a landholding system in which large numbers of tillers were tenants or under-tenants to large landowners (known as zamindars), or to intermediary absentee rent collectors.

      M. Weiner, Sons of Soil iii. 101
   10. 2015

       > The zamindars..had since Mughal times, owned land and looked after the maintenance of irrigation works and embankments.

       I. Bannerjee-Dube, Hist. Modern India ii. 63
   economics and commerce law historical
   1. catchpole Old English–1551
      A person who collects taxes or duties, a tax-gatherer. Obsolete.
   2. publican c1175–
      Roman History. A person who farms the public taxes; a tax-gatherer, esp. any of those in Judaea and Galilee in the New Testament period, who were…
   3. bagman 1377–1791
      A person who collects money for various purposes. A tax collector or debt collector. Obsolete.
   4. tallager c1400
      One who assessed or collected tallage; a tax-gatherer.
   5. levier a1513–
      One who levies (in senses of the verb).
   6. renter?1536–
      A person who collects rents (esp. those belonging to a corporate body), taxes, or tribute. Now historical.
   7. task-gatherer 1552–
   8. exactor 1570–
      One who exacts: (in Latin senses) An officer who levies or collects tribute, taxes, or customs; a tax-collector. archaic.
   9. uptaker 1576–96
      Scottish. One who collects or levies taxes, etc.
   10. exacter 1596–
       One who enforces payment of (dues); also one who demands more than his or her due, an extortioner. Const. of; = exactor, n. 1, 2.
   11. mise-gatherer 1597–1604
       A collector of taxes.
   12. vectigal a1600
       A collector of tribute.
   13. taxer 1603–
       One who levies a tax or taxes.
   14. tax-taker 1610–
       One who takes or collects taxes; a levier or receiver of taxes.
   15. raiser 1611
       A person who raises something or someone, in various senses; spec. a person who breeds animals or cultivates plants.
   16. summonitor 1617–1915
       An officer of the Court of Exchequer in Ireland responsible for fining people for non-attendance in court, thereby assisting in collecting the…
   17. summonister c1625–
       An officer of the Court of Exchequer in Ireland responsible for fining people for non-attendance in court, thereby assisting in collecting the…
   18. riding officer 1675–
       A mounted customs officer, esp. one patrolling the coastline.
   19. zamindar 1683–
       In South Asia: (in the Mughal period) a landholder responsible for paying land revenue for an area to the emperor and carrying out certain other…
   20. tax-gatherer 1693–
       A collector of taxes.
   21. desai 1698–
       An Indian revenue official, or petty chief.
   22. amildar 1761–
       In South Asia: a (usually local or Indigenous) representative or agent, esp. a collector of revenue; = amil, n.
   23. amil 1763–
       In South Asia: a (usually local or Indigenous) representative or agent, esp. a collector of revenue. Cf. amildar, n.
   24. collector 1772–
       In some parts of South Asia: an official serving as the head of an administrative unit or district with overall responsibility for revenue…
   25. tax-master 1796–
   26. tehsildar 1799–
       The chief revenue-officer of a subdivision of a district under the Mogul rule; retained by the British; formerly sometimes applied to the cashier…
   27. taxman 1803–
       A tax-collector; also, an inspector of taxes or similar official; (with the) the Board of Inland Revenue, personified.
   28. tax-receiver 1830–
   29. tax-collector 1833–
   30. the taxes 1874–
       The tax-collector.
   31. revenuer 1877–
       A government officer who enforces laws against the illegal distillation of alcohol.
   32. revenue 1880–
       U.S. regional (chiefly south Midland). A revenue officer; = revenuer, n. Now rare.
   33. levyist 1923–
       One who imposes, or advocates imposing, a levy.
   34. T-man 1938–
       A law enforcement officer of the Treasury Department.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. dreng Old English–
      A free tenant (specially) in ancient Northumbria, holding by a tenure older than the Norman Conquest, the nature of which was partly military…
   2. selfode 1271–
      Under the feudal system: a type of low-ranking tenant.
   3. thring c1275–1861
      = dreng, n.
   4. particular tenant 1590–1859
      The tenant of a particular estate.
   5. rack-renter 1680–
      A tenant who pays a rack rent. Now rare.
   6. zamindar 1683–
      In South Asia: (in the Mughal period) a landholder responsible for paying land revenue for an area to the emperor and carrying out certain other…
   7. head lessee 1795–
      The holder of a head lease.
   8. conventionary 1828–
      A conventionary tenant (cf. sense A). Now historical.
   9. roturier 1830–
      In Canada: a person who holds real estate subject to an annual rent paid to a seigneur (seigneur, n. b). Cf. roture, n. 1a. Now historical.
   10. statutory tenant 1867–
       A person living in premises under statutory tenancy.
   11. livier 1883–
       A person who holds land or property on a lease for life (sometimes renewable from generation to generation). Cf. life tenant, n.
   12. church renter 1889
       A tenant of the church.
   13. congest 1902–
       In Ireland, a tenant living on land of which the resources do not provide adequate support.
   14. secure tenant 1980–
       A tenant who occupies a property under the terms of a secure tenancy.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/zəˈmiːndɑː/
zuh-MEEN-dar

### U.S. English

/zəˈminˌdɑr/
zuh-MEEN-dar
/zəˌminˈdɑr/
zuh-meen-DAR

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

## Forms

### Variant forms

##### α.

1. 1600s
   gemidar
2. 1600s–1700s
   jemidar, jemmidar
3. 1700s
   jemitdar, zemidar
4. 1800s
   jumidar

##### β.

1. 1700s
   jemendar
2. 1700s–1800s
   zimeendar
3. 1700s–1900s
   zemendar
4. 1700s–
   zamindar, zemindar
5. 1800s
   zemeendar, zumeendar

## Frequency

zamindar typically occurs about 0.6 times per million words in modern written English.

zamindar is in frequency band 4, which contains words occurring between 0.1 and 1 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zamindar, n., 1770–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1770 | 0.021
1780 | 0.035
1790 | 0.028
1800 | 0.021
1810 | 0.022
1820 | 0.024
1830 | 0.018
1840 | 0.038
1850 | 0.096
1860 | 0.15
1870 | 0.18
1880 | 0.22
1890 | 0.25
1900 | 0.23
1910 | 0.23
1920 | 0.27
1930 | 0.35
1940 | 0.49
1950 | 0.63
1960 | 0.74
1970 | 0.8
1980 | 0.74
1990 | 0.63
2000 | 0.57
2010 | 0.48

### Frequency of zamindar, n., 2017–2024

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the corpus.

Period | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
2017 | 0.028
2018 | 0.027
2019 | 0.027
2020 | 0.027
2021 | 0.029
2022 | 0.029
2023 | 0.03
2024 | 0.031

## Compounds & derived words

Sort by

1. zamindarship, n. 1698–1902
   The office or jurisdiction of a zamindar; =…

zamindar, n. was revised in June 2018.

zamindar, n. was last modified in December 2024.