- Sidi
"Sidi" is a masculine title of respect in
Western Arabic language andEgyptian Arabic ("sayyid " in other dialects) equivalent to modern popular usage of the EnglishMr. . It is also used in other Arabic dialects, such asEastern Arabic , as well as by Muslims of the Indian subcontinent in theUrdu language - however, in these latter two cases, "Sidi" does not have so much currency as titles likesayed ,janab orsaheb .Occasionally a respected member of a muslim society will be given the title Sidi by default in recognition of upright standing and wisdom. This especially applies to
marabout s, hence the term appears in places and mosques named after one.In the Maghrebi kingdom of
Morocco :
* Sidi ('Lord'): the title used as a substitute forMulay by those male members of the rulingAlawi dynasty sharing the first name of the Muslim Prophet,Muhammad
*Smiyet Sidi: a style usually reserved for the Sovereign or the Heir Apparent, loosely, but imperfectly, translated as 'His Lordship' or 'Monseigneur'In neighbouring
Tunisian Arabic , it has evolved into two separate variants: "Si" means Mister orSir , while "Sidi" means "Master" or "Saint ", depending on the context. For example older conservativeTunisian women call their husbands "Sidi", not by first name; older conservative Tunisians (both men and women) call their older brothers "Sidi", especially when there is a large age difference between them. There are two female equivalents of "Sidi": "Lella", when used in a social context, and "Sayyeda" when speaking about female saints, for example "(Es)-Sayyeda El-Manoubiyya".In the
Hijaz region ofSaudi Arabia , the word "sidi" is used as an honorific when addressing an older brother by many of the more traditional families.
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