Meaning of "chieftain" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD CHIEFTAIN

From Old French chevetaine, from Late Latin capitāneus commander.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF CHIEFTAIN

chieftain  [ˈtʃiːftən]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF CHIEFTAIN

Chieftain is a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES CHIEFTAIN MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Tribal chief

A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age. In the case of indigenous tribal societies existing within larger colonial and post-colonial states, tribal chiefs may represent their tribe or ethnicity in a form of self-government. The most common types are the chairman of a council and/or a broader popular assembly in "parliamentary" cultures, the war chief, the hereditary chief and the politically dominant medicineman. The term is usually distinct from chiefs at still lower levels, such as village headman or clan chief, as the notion "tribal" rather requires an ethno-cultural identity as well as some political expression. In certain situations, and especially in a colonial context, the most powerful member of either a confederation or a federation of such tribal, clan or village chiefs would be referred to as a paramount chief. This term has largely fallen out of use, however, and such personages are now often called kings.

Definition of chieftain in the English dictionary

The definition of chieftain in the dictionary is the head or leader of a tribe or clan. Other definition of chieftain is the chief of a group of people.

TRANSLATION OF CHIEFTAIN

Find out the translation of chieftain to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of chieftain from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «chieftain» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 头目
• Translator English - Spanish: cacique
• English: chieftain
• Translator English - Hindi: मुखिया
• Translator English - Arabic: زعيم
• Translator English - Russian: вождь
• Translator English - Portuguese: cacique
• Translator English - Bengali: সর্দার
• Translator English - French: chef de clan
• Translator English - Malay: Ketua
• Translator English - German: Häuptling
• Translator English - Japanese: 族長
• Translator English - Korean: 족장
• Translator English - Javanese: Pemimpin
• Translator English - Vietnamese: trưởng nhóm
• Translator English - Tamil: தலைவர்
• Translator English - Marathi: सरदार
• Translator English - Turkish: başbuğ
• Translator English - Italian: capo
• Translator English - Polish: wódz
• Translator English - Ukrainian: вождь
• Translator English - Romanian: căpetenie
• Translator English - Greek: οπλαρχηγού
• Translator English - Afrikaans: vors
• Translator English - Swedish: hövding
• Translator English - Norwegian: høvding

2 QUOTES WITH «CHIEFTAIN»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word chieftain.

1

Horatio Alger

Thus the castle of each feudal chieftain became a school of chivalry, into which any noble youth, whose parents were from poverty unable to educate him to the art of war, was readily received.

2

Roland Joffe

Eventually, the tribe developed so much confidence in me that they invited me to be their chieftain.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «CHIEFTAIN»

Discover the use of chieftain in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to chieftain and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Chieftain

Chieftain was the British Army's first true main battle tank.

Rob Griffin, 2001

The Chieftain

Connor, chieftain of the MacDonalds of Sleat, holds the fate of his people in his hands.

Margaret Mallory, 2013

The Chieftain: Telnarian Histories: Book One

A science fiction series filled with interplanetary adventure, rebellion and mortal combat by the author the The Gorean Saga. First in the series, The Chieftain. This is the age of the Telnarians.

John Norman, 2011

Chieftain

In 14th Century Britain, a dying widow asks her twin sister, Johanna Benison, to assume her identity and look after her son and estate. Seven years later the supposedly dead husband, a Scottish chieftain, returns from the wars.

Arnette Lamb, 2008

Chieftain Main Battle Tank 1965-2003

This book explores the design, development and operation of one of the most influential vehicles used in modern warfare.

Simon Dunstan, 2012

The Chieftain's Daughter

The Chieftain's Daughter is the story of a young boy who is fostered on a remote Irish tribe some 1500 years ago.

Sam McBratney, 1997

Sagwitch: Shoshone chieftain, Mormon elder, 1822-1887

Sagwitch, a leader of the Northwestern Shoshone and survivor of the Bear River Massacre, helped lead his shattered band into an Anglo way of life.

Scott R. Christensen, 1999

The Chieftain

Young widow Isobel Carnegie is much sought after for her beauty, well as her fortune. When she is kidnapped by Highland Chieftain Hector MacLean, it seems he is only interested in her money.

Helen Cannam, 2000

Charming the Chieftain

Accused of witchery, Lady Elisande Cadby must submit to the Rite of Purification before wedding Baron Warford the Brutal.

Deanie Roman, 2013

James A. Garfield: Party Chieftain

Based on published lives, the first part of this biography of our twentieth president recounts his early life, while the latter part about his career is taken from public documents and contemporary material.

Robert Granville Caldwell, 1965

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «CHIEFTAIN»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term chieftain is used in the context of the following news items.

South Carolina's Senate gives OK to Confederate flag removal …

Could not extract width/height from image: http://www.chieftain.com/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls? «Pueblo Chieftain, Jul 15»

Kidney transplant recipient gets a second chance at life

CHIEFTAIN PHOTO/JOHN JAQUES Rebecca McGhee and her cousin, Andy McGee, share a closer bond than most relatives: When McGhee's ... «Pueblo Chieftain, Jul 15»

Potato company MountainKing settles harassment suit

by robert boczkiewicz the pueblo chieftain. Published: July 7, 2015; Last modified: July 7, 2015 04:00AM. DENVER — Allegations that female workers were ... «Pueblo Chieftain, Jul 15»

Farm sale deadline Aug. 18

Pure Cycle selling to others who wanted to move water. BY CHRIS WOODKA The Pueblo Chieftain. Published: July 7, 2015; Last modified: July 7, 2015 12: ... «Pueblo Chieftain, Jul 15»

Macsween Haggis crowned chieftain

Brother and sister team James and Jo Macsween, the third generation to run the family haggis business based at Loanhead in Edinburgh, are ... «Edinburgh Evening News, Jul 15»

Alleged robber arrested

by gayle perez the pueblo chieftain. Published: July 6, 2015; Last modified: July 6, 2015 09:18PM. JOHNSON VILLAGE — A Johnson Village man who allegedly ... «Pueblo Chieftain, Jul 15»

Nigerians will beg PDP to return in 2019 - Party chieftain

The PDP chieftain also said that the PDP will not succumb to any form of intimidation in various election tribunals in the South-South. «DailyPost Nigeria, Jul 15»

PDP chieftain advises sacked Plateau LG Chairmen to sue Lalong

Mwolwus, who is a PDP chieftain, said that the chairmen had earlier obtained court injunction restraining the Lalong-led APC administration ... «DailyPost Nigeria, Jul 15»

Authorities raid Subway spokesman's home

Could not extract width/height from image: http://www.chieftain.com/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls? «Pueblo Chieftain, Jul 15»

Death threat made against priest

by anthony a. mestas the pueblo chieftain. Published: July 6, 2015; Last modified: July 6, 2015 11:30PM. WALSENBURG — Police here are investigating an ... «Pueblo Chieftain, Jul 15»