Memsahib
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Memsahib is a noun meaning (India, historical, as a respectful term of address) A white European woman in colonial India.
Meaning
(India, historical, as a respectful term of address) A white European woman in colonial India.
Example Sentences
She had not wanted a little girl at all, and when Mary was born she handed her over to the care of an Ayah, who was made to understand that if she wished to please the Mem Sahib she must keep the child out of sight as much as possible
This might be accomplished literally through missionary work (Plate 5.1), but that tended to be unattractively pro-active and spinsterish, and it was rather the memsahibs, the mothers, wives and daughters of the white officers and administrators, who were to instil civilisation, through the example of their own moral refinement.
Word Forms
- memsahibs
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include madame, madam, lady, milady, missus, mamsahib.
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Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
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