haseki

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish خاصكی (hasseki, haseki), from Classical Persian خاصگی (xāssagī, xāsagī).

haseki (plural hasekis)

1. (historical) The chief consort of an Ottoman sultan; later, any of several consorts of the sultan.
   • 2016, Şefika Şule Erçetin, Women Leaders in Chaotic Environments, page 76:

     Hasekis had the strongest status in the hierarchy following sultanas according to the amount of their salaries and they took place in this status in harem.

• sheika, Keisha, sakieh

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish خاصكی (hasseki, haseki, “(formerly) one of a body of sergeants-at-arms, sixty of whom formed the body guard of the Sultan; their officers that filled important public offices”),^[1][2] from Classical Persian خاصگی (xāssagī, xāsagī, “the favorite of the ruler”), from Arabic خَاصّ (ḵāṣṣ, “special, particular, specific”).^[3]

• IPA^(key): /ha.seˈci/
• Hyphenation: ha‧se‧ki

haseki (definite accusative hasekiyi, plural hasekiler)

1. A title in the Ottoman Empire given to those who became a senior in a particular office.
2. Lower rank officers in the Bostanji regiment.
3. A favorite chosen from among the female slaves to the Ottoman palace.

• “haseki”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007) “hasekî”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 1886