local bashaw
- noun
- Archaic
:
bajá local
- The local bashaw was respected and even feared by all the villagers.
Examples
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During the occupation, the new local bashaw enforced his own set of rules.
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Some communities resented the control of their local bashaw and eventually rebelled.
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The local bashaw made a controversial decision.
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Many residents respect the local bashaw for his leadership.
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The local bashaw dictated the village's laws without consulting anyone.
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Many villagers viewed the local bashaw as a tyrant due to his harsh rules.
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Citizens often turned to their local bashaw for judgment on disputes and issues.
Synonyms
218
4.2
A ruler with complete power who often takes control by force and ignores the law
153
2.1
A person who has power over a country or its people
8
8.3
A ruler who has all power and treats people cruelly
3
9.9
A ruler who has complete power over a country and its people
A powerful person in a local area who controls people or decisions
A high official in some Muslim countries during the Middle Ages who ruled a province
A person who acts like a ruler and expects others to obey
How Authoritarian
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a local authority figure' is directly and predictably composed from 'local' (pertaining to a particular area) + 'bashaw' (a titled official/pasha). This adjective + title combination follows a common compositional pattern found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Local bashaw comes from the Turkish title bashaw, related to the word 'pasha' for a powerful leader, and was used by foreign rulers to name officials put in charge of a town. So a local bashaw gives the picture of a local boss with strong, often strict, power and means 'a local ruler'.