head man

Meaning

1. The person in charge of an organization, clan, tribe, or other group.
2. The leader of a village.

Synonyms

clan

class

family

👪

head

people

🧑‍🤝‍🧑

tribe

Etymology

From Middle English heed man, from Old English hēafodmann (“leader; captain, head of a group”), from Proto-West Germanic *haubidamann, equivalent to head + man. Cognate with Dutch hoofdman (“chief; chieftain”), German Hauptmann (“captain”), Swedish huvudman (“chief; principal; leader”). Compare also English headsman.