(I) Long ago, bey was a title among Turkish peoples, traditionally given to rulers of small tribal groups, to members of ruling families and to important officials. (II) It was Osman Bey, who, early in the 14th century, founded an empire in western Anatolia that was to endure for almost six centuries. (Ill) Under the Ottoman Empire, a bey was the governor of a province, distinguished by his own flag. (IV) Later "bey" became a general title of respect in Turkish, added after a man's personal name. (V) In the 20th-century Turkish Republic, bey, though surviving in polite conversation, was replaced by bay before the name, which is equivalent to "Mr".