maulvi

From Urdu مولوی (maulvi), and its source, Classical Persian مولوی (mawlawī), noun use of Arabic مَوْلَوِيّ (mawlawiyy, “of a lord or master”), ultimately from مَوْلًى (mawlan, “master”). Compare mullah, maulana.

maulvi (plural maulvis)

1. An imam; a Muslim doctor of law.
2. (loosely, chiefly South Asia) Any man of learning; a scholar, a teacher of Classical languages.
   • 2004, Khushwant Singh, Burial at Sea, Penguin, published 2014, page 10:

     He had a maulvi and a pandit to teach him Urdu and Hindi.

• Valium