cheveteyn

== Middle English == === Alternative forms === cheventayn, cheventein, chevyteyn, chieftayn, chefteyn, cheftayn, cheveteine, cheveteyne, chiftan, cheftayne === Etymology === Borrowed from Old French chevetaine, from Late Latin capitaneus. Doublet of capitain. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˌt͡ʃeːvəˈtæi̯n(ə)/, /ˈt͡ʃeːvətin(ə)/, /t͡ʃeːfˈtæi̯n(ə)/, /ˈt͡ʃeːftin(ə)/ === Noun === cheveteyn (plural cheveteynes) The leader of a nation or a political division; a high-ranking politician. The head of a military grouping; a general or marshal. late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Knight's Tale, The Canterbury Tales, line 2555-2557: A head, chief or boss; any sort of person at the top of a hierarchy. (rare) A religious head or exemplar. ==== Descendants ==== English: chieftain French: cheftaine Scots: chieftain ==== References ==== “chevetain(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 14 September 2018.