sirdar

or sar·dar

[ ser-dahr ]

noun

1. (in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan) a military chief or leader.
2. (formerly) the British commander of the Egyptian army.

sirdar

/ ˈsɜːdɑː /

noun

1. a general or military leader in Pakistan and India
2. (formerly) the title of the British commander in chief of the Egyptian Army
3. a variant spelling of sardar

Word History and Origins

Origin of sirdar¹

1605–15; < Hindi sardār < Persian

Word History and Origins

Origin of sirdar¹

from Hindi sardār, from Persian, from sar head + dār possession

Example Sentences

His father, who worked as a “sirdar” or “lead Sherpa” on the mountain, could no longer climb after losing several toes and fingers to frostbite.

From Seattle Times

From there, he became a sirdar — the sherpa in charge of managing all of the other sherpas in an expedition.

From Seattle Times

She scrolled through her phone with sirdars - lead Sherpas - showing them pictures of the dead, asking for identification.

From Washington Times

His father is a respected climbing Sherpa who taught him the basics of mountaineering at an early age so tThe sirdar is the head Sherpa.

From Literature

He could not tell her that in his case the head sirdar of the Gularzai would be every whit as merciless as would Allah-din Khan and his followers.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• commandant
• commander