Where does “cacique” come from?
Cacique comes from Spanish cacique, from Arawak kassequa, from Taíno ka-, from Proto-Arawak ka-, a term for indigenous chief or leader in Caribbean societies.
cacique (English): A tribal chief in the Spanish West Indies; A...
Definitions
- A tribal chief in the Spanish West Indies; A...
Ancestry of “cacique”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Spanish | cacique | chieftain; powerful person, fat cat; cacique |
| 2 | Taíno | kasike | chieftain |
| 3 | Taíno | ka- | the |
| 4 | Proto-Arawak | ka- | — |
Words derived from “cacique”