Date
Meaning & History
The first element is derived from Arabic áslama "to submit, to surrender" (and is thus etymologically related to the word islam and the name ESLAM). The second element of this name is derived from the Ottoman Turkish military title beg (also bey) meaning "lord, chief(tain), master", making it the Turkish equivalent of the Arabic-Persian military title amir, emir. The etymological origin of this military title is uncertain, however. Some experts theorize it is derived from Old Turkic bég, which itself is probably ultimately derived from Proto-Turkic bek meaning "firm, solid, stable". Others theorize it is ultimately derived from Old Iranian baga (possibly via Sogdian beĝe) meaning "God, lord, master". Also compare Uzbekistan, which is the name of a country in Central Asia.