A chief or leader of an Indigenous people, especially in the Caribbean and Central America during the colonial period.
From Taíno (Arawakan language of the Caribbean) 'cassique,' borrowed into Spanish and European languages to describe Indigenous rulers encountered by Columbus.
This word is a linguistic bridge between cultures—Columbus and early colonizers needed a word for Native leaders, so they adopted the Taíno term itself rather than imposing a European title, preserving an echo of the language they displaced.
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