'sheikhdom' originates from Arabic, specifically the word 'shaykh' (شيخ), where 'shaykh' meant 'elder' or 'leader', combined with the English suffix '-dom' from Old English 'dōm' meaning 'state' or 'condition'.

'sheikh' entered English from Arabic (with some intermediacy via Persian/Turkic in historical contacts) in the modern period, while the suffix '-dom' comes from Old English 'dōm'; the two elements were combined in modern English to form 'sheikhdom'.

Initially, 'shaykh' meant 'elder/leader' and '-dom' meant 'state' or 'condition'; when combined, they came to mean 'the territory or authority of a sheikh', a meaning that has remained largely consistent into modern usage.