Word
singh
Phoneticssingh
/ˈsɪŋ/
Definition
n. a common surname or title in India, especially used by men in the Sikh religion.
n. A surname or title common in India, particularly among the Sikh community where it is a mandatory religious name for males, and among various Hindu groups in northern India.
Examples
“My friend's last name is Singh.”
“The local community center invited Mr. Singh to speak about the history of the neighborhood.”
“While historically associated with the warrior caste in northern India, the name Singh was adopted by Guru Gobind Singh to replace traditional surnames that indicated a person's social status or caste.”
Examples
simple
“My friend's last name is Singh.”
contextual
“The local community center invited Mr. Singh to speak about the history of the neighborhood.”
complex
“While historically associated with the warrior caste in northern India, the name Singh was adopted by Guru Gobind Singh to replace traditional surnames that indicated a person's social status or caste.”
Teaching tip
In the Sikh tradition, 'Singh' (meaning lion) is used as a surname or middle name for all men to promote equality.
Etymology
From Hindi सिंघ (siṅgh, “lion”) or Punjabi ਸਿੰਘ (siṅgh, “lion”). Doublet of Sinha.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/singh