Ranees

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Queens in certain South Asian regions ; married female rulers or consorts in Indian royalty ; women of noble status often associated with ruling dynasties in India
2. Female monarchs in some Indian contexts ; wives or principal ladies of kings in South Asia ; royal women holding positions of power or respect in Indian culture
3. Noblewomen serving as sovereigns or chief consorts in India ; regal females within South Asian courts ; esteemed women belonging to the royal hierarchy in Indian history

Etymology: "Ranees" is the plural of "ranee", the form of "rani" that English adopted for the wives and widows of Indian rajas and, by extension, for royal women of the Indian subcontinent. The singular "ranee" is itself a spelling of the Hindi-Urdu word "rani", meaning queen, which is ultimately related to Sanskrit "rājñī", the feminine form of "rājan", king. English has long preferred the "ee" spelling, so the plural follows the usual pattern of adding an "s".

Synonyms: queens, consorts, royal wives