Khodja

Khodja, also spelled hodja, khodja, hoja, or hoca, is a title of honor with roots in Persian and Turkic languages. It derives from the word khwāja (also rendered khodā or khodaḵ), meaning master, owner, lord, or respected person. Through Persian, Turkish, and other regional languages, the term spread widely across the Muslim world, adapting to local pronunciation and spelling.

In usage, khodja serves as an honorific for learned or respected men. It has been applied to religious scholars, teachers, and Sufi sheikhs, as well as to elders and community leaders. In everyday speech, it can function similarly to “mister” or “sir,” used to address adult men with respect. In Turkic, South Asian, and Balkan languages, variants such as hodža, hoja, or hoca are common and may appear as part of personal names, surnames, or place names.

Notable and cultural associations include Nasreddin Hodja, the legendary folk figure celebrated for wit and moral anecdotes in Middle Eastern and Central Asian folklore. The term also appears in the name of various social groups and migrations. In the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora, the word is linked to merchant and scholarly lineages under the broader Khwāja/Khoja identity, with the Khoja communities tracing their name to the honorific.

In contemporary usage, khodja remains common in many regions as a respectful title for religious teachers, imams, and senior community members. Variants persist across languages and cultures, reflecting the term’s broad historical role as a marker of learning, leadership, and respect.