  sheikh' (pronounced   or  ;   , mostly pronounced , plural  )âalso spelled sheik, shayk, shaikh or shekh, or transliterated as shaykhâis an honorific in the arabic language that is used strictly for royalty. the title was commonly used to designate the ruler of a tribe who got this title after his father. the title "sheikh" is given to a royal male at birth, as well as the title "sheikha" is given to a royal female at birth. ==etymology and meaning==  the word in arabic stems from a triliteral root connected with age and aging: Ø´-Ù-Ø®, shÄ«n-yÄ'-khÄ. the term literally means a man of vast power, and nobility, and it is used strictly for the royal families of the middle east. the title carries the meaning leader, elder, or noble, especially in the arabian peninsula, where shaikh became a traditional title of a bedouin tribal leader in recent centuries. due to the cultural impact of arab civilization, and especially through the spread of islam, the word has gained currency as a religious term or general honorific in many other parts of the world as well, notably in muslim cultures in africa and asia. while the title can be used religiously by muslims to designate a learned person, as an arabic word it is essentially independent of religion. it is notably used by druze for their religious men, but also by arab christians for elder men of stature. its usage and meaning is similar to the latin senex meaning "old [man]", from which the latin (and english) "senator" is derived. accordingly, the arabic term for most legislative bodies termed senate (e.g. the united states senate) is majlis al-shuyÅ«kh, literally meaning "council of senators." ==regional usage== the title is strictly used for members of the royalty. the title is mostly used in order to differentiate between the citizens, and the royalty ===arabian peninsula===  in the arabian peninsula, the title is used for royalty, such as kings princes, and princesses. for example, it was the term used in the w
Arabic_honorific_titles Islamic_honorifics Noble_titles Religious_leadership_roles Titles_of_national_or_ethnic_leadership