head man en · NOUN
Etymology
From Middle English heed man, from Old English hēafodmann (“leader; captain, head of a group”), from Proto-West Germanic *haubidamann, equivalent to head + man. Cognate with Dutch hoofdman (“chief; chieftain”), German Hauptmann (“captain”), Swedish huvudman (“chief; principal; leader”). Compare also English headsman. Doublet of hetman.
Meanings
-
The person in charge of an organization, clan, tribe, or other group.
"I got influence with the Crows," Mitchell had boasted to the major back at the fort. "I was a headman among 'em."
1952, Dorothy M. Johnson, The Unbeliever; in Indian Country, London: Corgi, 1961, page 30:
- The leader of a village.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| head men | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| headman | alternative | lexicographic |
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (16)
bn হাজারী (leader of a village) · it capo villaggio (leader of a village) · be ста́раста (leader of a village) · fi päämies (leader of a village) · kmr muxtar (leader of a village) · cs předák (leader of a village) · cs vedoucí (leader of a village) · ru ста́роста (leader of a village) · sw jumbe (leader of a village) · pga mukunggu (leader of a village) · bg вожд (leader of a village) · pl sołtyska (leader of a village) · cs náčelník (leader of a village) · fi pää (leader of a village) · clt khybyi (leader of a village) · pl sołtys (leader of a village)