-ji

-ji (IAST: -jī, Hindustani pronunciation: [dʒiː]) is a gender-neutral honorific used as a suffix in many languages of the Indian subcontinent,[1][2] such as Hindi, Nepali and Punjabi languages and their dialects prevalent in northern India, north-west and central India.

Ji is gender-neutral and can be used for as a term of respect for person, relationships or inanimate objects as well. Its usage is similar, but not identical, to another subcontinental honorific, sāhab. It is similar to the gender-neutral Japanese honorific -san.

  1. ^ R. Caldwell Smith; S. C. R. Weightman (1994), Introductory Hindi course, North India Institute of Language Study Society, ... How is the honorific 'ji' used ? It is added after the identification of a person ...
  2. ^ Herbert Feldman (1968), Pakistan: an introduction, Oxford University Press, ... to use the word "ji" which, by itself, means "yes" or, when used as suffix to a name as for example in Rustomji, is a way of speaking to that person, or of referring to him, with respect ...