chief

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• /t͡ʃiːf/
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• rhymes with -iːf
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• CMU ARPABET: CH IY1 F Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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Etymology tree substratebor.? Proto-Indo-European *kap-? Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *káput Proto-Italic *kaput Latin caput Vulgar Latin capus Old French chiefbor. Middle English chef English chief Inherited from Middle English chef, borrowed from Old French chief, from Vulgar Latin capus, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic *kaput, from Proto-Indo-European *káput, from *kap-, possibly from *kap-, possibly borrowed from a substrate language. Doublet of cape (“point of land”), capo, caput, and chef through Latin (possibly also related to cape (“sleeveless garment”) and cap (“head covering”) from Latin cappa); doublet of head and Howth through Proto-Indo-European.

Named after an Ojibwe chieftain, or chief.

282 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Catalan: principal — primary; principal
• Czech: hlavní — primary; principal
• Galician: principal — primary; principal
• German: hauptsächlich — primary; principal
• German: primär — primary; principal
• Greek: κύριος (kýrios) — primary; principal
• Ancient Greek: κεφάλαιος (kephálaios) — primary; principal
• Hindi: प्रमुख (pramukh) — primary; principal
• Hindi: मुख्य (mukhya) — primary; principal
• Hindi: प्रधान (pradhān) — primary; principal
• Hindi: श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭh) — primary; principal
• Icelandic: aðal- — primary; principal
• Icelandic: megin- — primary; principal
• Latin: princeps — primary; principal
• Latin: potissimus — primary; principal
• Māori: matua — primary; principal
• Portuguese: chefe — primary; principal
• Portuguese: principal — primary; principal
• Russian: гла́вный (glávnyj) — primary; principal
• Russian: основно́й (osnovnój) — primary; principal
• Sanskrit: प्रधान (pradhāna) — primary; principal
• Spanish: principal — primary; principal
• Albanian: prijës — leader of group, etc.
• Albanian: pringj — leader of group, etc.
• Aleut: tukux̂ — leader of group, etc.
• Western Apache: nantʼán — leader of group, etc.
• Arabic: شَيْخ (šayḵ) — leader of group, etc.
• Arabic: قَائِد (qāʔid) — leader of group, etc.
• Armenian: առաջնորդ (aṙaǰnord) — leader of group, etc.
• Bangi: mokonzi — leader of group, etc.
• Belarusian: правады́р (pravadýr) — leader of group, etc.
• Belarusian: гало́ўны (halówny) — leader of group, etc.
• Belarusian: во́дца (vódca) — leader of group, etc.
• Belarusian: важа́к (važák) — leader of group, etc.
• Bulgarian: вожд (vožd) — leader of group, etc.
• Bulgarian: главата́р (glavatár) — leader of group, etc.
• Bulgarian: водач (vodač) — leader of group, etc.
• Catalan: cap — leader of group, etc.
• Cherokee: ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯ (ugvwiyuhi) — leader of group, etc.
• Chichewa: mfumu — leader of group, etc.
• Chickasaw: minko' — leader of group, etc.
• Chinese Mandarin: 頭子 /头子 (tóuzi) — leader of group, etc.
• Czech: náčelník — leader of group, etc.
• Czech: šéf — leader of group, etc.
• Egyptian: wr:r-A1 (wr) — leader of group, etc.
• Estonian: pealik — leader of group, etc.
• Finnish: johtaja — leader of group, etc.
• French: chef — leader of group, etc.
• Friulian: cjâf — leader of group, etc.
• Friulian: dûs — leader of group, etc.
• Galician: xefe — leader of group, etc.
• Galician: caporal — leader of group, etc.
• Galician: coudel — leader of group, etc.
• Galician: bren — leader of group, etc.
• Galician: cabedel — leader of group, etc.
• German: Häuptling — leader of group, etc.
• German: Oberhaupt — leader of group, etc.
• Greek: αρχηγός (archigós) — leader of group, etc.
• Ancient Greek: προστάτης (prostátēs) — leader of group, etc.
• Ancient Greek: ὄρχαμος (órkhamos) — leader of group, etc.
• Hindi: मुखिया (mukhiyā) — leader of group, etc.
• Hindi: प्रधान (pradhān) — leader of group, etc.
• Hindi: श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭh) — leader of group, etc.
• Hindi: मुख्य (mukhya) — leader of group, etc.
• Hindi: शेख (śekh) — leader of group, etc.
• Hindi: मालिक (mālik) — leader of group, etc.
• Hindi: मालक (mālak) — leader of group, etc.
• Hindi: सरदार (sardār) — leader of group, etc.
• Hindi: प्रमुख (pramukh) — leader of group, etc.
• Hungarian: főnök — leader of group, etc.
• Icelandic: höfðingi — leader of group, etc.
• Icelandic: foringi — leader of group, etc.
• Icelandic: leiðtogi — leader of group, etc.
• Ido: chefo — leader of group, etc.
• Italian: capo — leader of group, etc.
• Japanese: 長 (chō) — leader of group, etc.
• Japanese: チーフ (chīfu) — leader of group, etc.
• Khmer: មេ (mei) — leader of group, etc.
• Kongo: mfumu — leader of group, etc.
• Korean: 장 (jang) — leader of group, etc.
• Northern Kurdish: serok — leader of group, etc.
• Kyrgyz: башчы (başcı) — leader of group, etc.
• Ladino: kapo — leader of group, etc.
• Ladino: kapu (Monastir) — leader of group, etc.
• Ladino: shef — leader of group, etc.
• Ladino: el gadol — leader of group, etc.
• Lakota: itȟáŋčhaŋ — leader of group, etc.
• Lakota: wičháša itȟáŋčhaŋ — leader of group, etc.
• Latin: prīnceps — leader of group, etc.
• Latin: praepositus — leader of group, etc.
• Latin: procer — leader of group, etc.
• Lingala: mokonzi — leader of group, etc.
• Lutuv: khybyi — leader of group, etc.
• Macedonian: главатар (glavatar) — leader of group, etc.
• Macedonian: поглавар (poglavar) — leader of group, etc.
• Macedonian: главешина (glavešina) — leader of group, etc.
• Macedonian: старешина (starešina) — leader of group, etc.
• Macedonian: водач (vodač) — leader of group, etc.
• Malayalam: തലവൻ (talavaṉ) — leader of group, etc.
• Malayalam: നേതാവ് (nētāvŭ) — leader of group, etc.
• Manchu: ᡩᠠ (da) — leader of group, etc.
• Mansaka: dato — leader of group, etc.
• Manx: ard-er — leader of group, etc.
• Manx: ard-ghooinney — leader of group, etc.
• Māori: rangatira — leader of group, etc.
• Māori: poumatua — leader of group, etc.
• Māori: ariki — leader of group, etc.
• Māori: ringawhero — leader of group, etc.
• Mi'kmaq: saqamaw — leader of group, etc.
• Mi'kmaq: saqama'sgw — leader of group, etc.
• Central Sierra Miwok: hajá·po- — leader of group, etc.
• Central Sierra Miwok: má·jyŋy- — leader of group, etc.
• Munsee: kíhkay — leader of group, etc.
• Mwani: nfalume — leader of group, etc.
• Nandi: olaitorio — leader of group, etc.
• Navajo: naatʼáanii — leader of group, etc.
• Ngarrindjeri: rupelli — leader of group, etc.
• Norman: chef — leader of group, etc.
• Norwegian Bokmål: høvding — leader of group, etc.
• Norwegian Nynorsk: høvding — leader of group, etc.
• Occitan: cap — leader of group, etc.
• Ojibwe: ogimaa — leader of group, etc.
• Church Slavic: вождь (voždĭ) — leader of group, etc.
• Old East Slavic: вожь (vožĭ) — leader of group, etc.
• Old Turkic: 𐰋𐰏 (beg) — leader of group, etc.
• Ottawa: gimaa — leader of group, etc.
• Pashto: ملک (malak) — leader of group, etc.
• Pawnee: riisaaruʼ — leader of group, etc.
• Pawnee: reesaaruʼ — leader of group, etc.
• Persian: سرگروه (sargoruh) — leader of group, etc.
• Persian: سردسته (sardaste) — leader of group, etc.
• Persian: رئیس (re'is) — leader of group, etc.
• Persian: سریاک (saryāk) — leader of group, etc.
• Polish: wódz — leader of group, etc.
• Portuguese: chefe — leader of group, etc.
• Portuguese: líder — leader of group, etc.
• Rapa Nui: 'ariki — leader of group, etc.
• Romanian: căpetenie — leader of group, etc.
• Romanian: șef — leader of group, etc.
• Russian: вождь (voždʹ) — leader of group, etc.
• Russian: гла́вный (glávnyj) — leader of group, etc.
• Samoan: matai — leader of group, etc.
• Sanskrit: शिरस् (śíras) — leader of group, etc.
• Scottish Gaelic: ceannard — leader of group, etc.
• Serbo-Croatian: погла̀ва̄р — leader of group, etc.
• Serbo-Croatian: по̀главица — leader of group, etc.
• Serbo-Croatian: во̏ђа — leader of group, etc.
• Serbo-Croatian: гла̀ва̄р — leader of group, etc.
• Serbo-Croatian: poglàvār — leader of group, etc.
• Serbo-Croatian: pòglavica — leader of group, etc.
• Serbo-Croatian: vȍđa — leader of group, etc.
• Serbo-Croatian: glàvār — leader of group, etc.
• Slovak: náčelník — leader of group, etc.
• Slovak: šéf — leader of group, etc.
• Slovene: glavar — leader of group, etc.
• Spanish: jefe — leader of group, etc.
• Spanish: cacique — leader of group, etc.
• Spanish: curaca — leader of group, etc.
• Swahili: chifu — leader of group, etc.
• Swahili: jumbe — leader of group, etc.
• Swedish: hövding — leader of group, etc.
• Swedish: ledare — leader of group, etc.
• Tagalog: puno — leader of group, etc.
• Talysh: رئیس (rais) — leader of group, etc.
• Talysh: رییس (rais) — leader of group, etc.
• Tamil: தலைவன் (talaivaṉ) — leader of group, etc.
• Taos: łòwaʼána — leader of group, etc.
• Taos: tə̀otʼų́nena — leader of group, etc.
• Tocharian B: tāś — leader of group, etc.
• Tok Pisin: bigman — leader of group, etc.
• Tumbuka: fumu class 9/6 — leader of group, etc.
• Ottoman Turkish: رئیس (reʼis) — leader of group, etc.
• Ottoman Turkish: قوجه (koca) — leader of group, etc.
• Ukrainian: вождь (voždʹ) — leader of group, etc.
• Ukrainian: головни́й (holovnýj) — leader of group, etc.
• Ukrainian: проводи́р (provodýr) — leader of group, etc.
• Woiwurrung: ngurungaeta — leader of group, etc.
• Woiwurrung: nanggit — leader of group, etc.
• Yiddish: הויפּט (hoypt) — leader of group, etc.
• Yiddish: שעף (shef) — leader of group, etc.
• Yiddish: ראָש (rosh) — leader of group, etc.
• Zulu: inkosi class 9/6 — leader of group, etc.
• Arabic: رَئِيس (raʔīs) — head of an organization
• Arabic: مُدِير (mudīr) — head of an organization
• Arabic: شَيْخ (šayḵ) — head of an organization
• Armenian: պետ (pet) — head of an organization
• Armenian: ղեկավար (ġekavar) — head of an organization
• Armenian: տնօրեն (tnōren) — head of an organization
• Belarusian: кіраўні́к (kirawník) — head of an organization
• Belarusian: нача́льнiк (načálʹnik) — head of an organization
• Belarusian: галава́ (halavá) — head of an organization
• Belarusian: шэф (šef) — head of an organization
• Bulgarian: шеф (šef) — head of an organization
• Bulgarian: нача́лник (načálnik) — head of an organization
• Bulgarian: ръководи́тел (rǎkovodítel) — head of an organization
• Catalan: cap — head of an organization
• Chinese Mandarin: 長 /长 (zhǎng) — head of an organization
• Chinese Mandarin: 頭 /头 (tóu) — head of an organization
• Czech: náčelník — head of an organization
• Czech: šéf — head of an organization
• Dutch: directrice — head of an organization
• Dutch: directeur — head of an organization
• Dutch: directie — head of an organization
• Finnish: johtaja — head of an organization
• Finnish: päällikkö — head of an organization
• French: chef — head of an organization
• Galician: xefe — head of an organization
• German: Chef — head of an organization
• German: Boss — head of an organization
• Greek: αρχηγός (archigós) — head of an organization
• Hindi: मुखिया (mukhiyā) — head of an organization
• Hindi: रईस (raīs) — head of an organization
• Hindi: शेख (śekh) — head of an organization
• Hindi: सरदार (sardār) — head of an organization
• Hindi: प्रमुख (pramukh) — head of an organization
• Hindi: प्रधान (pradhān) — head of an organization
• Hindi: अध्यक्ष (adhyakṣ) — head of an organization
• Icelandic: yfirmaður — head of an organization
• Icelandic: forstöðumaður — head of an organization
• Icelandic: foringi — head of an organization
• Ido: chefo — head of an organization
• Italian: direzione — head of an organization
• Japanese: 長 (chō) — head of an organization
• Lakota: itȟáŋčhaŋ — head of an organization
• Lakota: wičháša itȟáŋčhaŋ — head of an organization
• Macedonian: шеф (šef) — head of an organization
• Manx: ard-er — head of an organization
• Manx: ard-ghooinney — head of an organization
• Māori: whakataka — head of an organization
• Māori: rangatira — head of an organization
• Māori: ringawhero — head of an organization
• Norman: chef — head of an organization
• Ojibwe: ogimaa — head of an organization
• Persian: فرنشین (farnešin) — head of an organization
• Persian: مدیر (modir) — head of an organization
• Polish: szef — head of an organization
• Polish: kierownik — head of an organization
• Polish: naczelnik — head of an organization
• Portuguese: chefe — head of an organization
• Portuguese: manda-chuva — head of an organization
• Romanian: șef — head of an organization
• Russian: глава́ (glavá) — head of an organization
• Russian: нача́льник (načálʹnik) — head of an organization
• Russian: руководи́тель (rukovodítelʹ) — head of an organization
• Russian: шеф (šef) — head of an organization
• Scottish Gaelic: ceannard — head of an organization
• Serbo-Croatian: ше̏ф — head of an organization
• Serbo-Croatian: šȅf — head of an organization
• Slovak: náčelník — head of an organization
• Slovak: šéf — head of an organization
• Slovene: načelnik — head of an organization
• Spanish: jefe — head of an organization
• Swedish: chef — head of an organization
• Tagalog: puno — head of an organization
• Tocharian B: tāś — head of an organization
• Ottoman Turkish: رئیس (reʼis) — head of an organization
• Ottoman Turkish: قوجه (koca) — head of an organization
• Ukrainian: голова́ (holová) — head of an organization
• Ukrainian: нача́льник (načálʹnyk) — head of an organization
• Ukrainian: керівни́к (kerivnýk) — head of an organization
• Ukrainian: шеф (šef) — head of an organization
• Zulu: inhloko — head of an organization
• Albanian: pringj — heraldic term
• Catalan: cap — heraldic term
• Czech: hlava štítu — heraldic term
• Dutch: schildhoofd — heraldic term
• Finnish: lakio — heraldic term
• French: chef — heraldic term
• Galician: xefe — heraldic term
• German: Schildhaupt — heraldic term
• Italian: capo — heraldic term
• Polish: głowica — heraldic term
• Portuguese: chefe — heraldic term
• Russian: глава́ (glavá) — heraldic term
• Spanish: jefe — heraldic term
• Swedish: ginstam — heraldic term
• Swedish: chef — heraldic term
• Swedish: sköldhuvud — heraldic term
• Finnish: johtaja — informal address
• Galician: xefe — informal address
• Icelandic: meistari — informal address
• Russian: команди́р (komandír) — informal address