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

  1. A tribal chief in the Spanish West Indies; A...

Ancestry of “cacique”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishcaciquechieftain; powerful person, fat cat; cacique
2Taínokasikechieftain
3Taínoka-the
4Proto-Arawakka-—

Words derived from “cacique”

Every word from Proto-Arawak ka- →Every word from Taíno ka- →Every word from Taíno kasike →