Cacique
/kəˈsiːk/noun
A native chief or leader, especially in parts of the Caribbean and Latin America.
Did you know?Spanish chroniclers borrowed cacique from Taíno, and in colonial Spanish it spread beyond “chief” into a political term for a powerful local boss, showing how language can turn real authority into a system of control.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian era
Taíno
kasike
“A tribal chief or leader”
Late 15th Century
Spanish
cacique
“A native chief in the Caribbean, adopted by Spanish chroniclers”
16th Century
Spanish
cacique
“A local indigenous ruler or headman in Spanish colonial usage”
18th-19th Century
Spanish
cacique
“A political boss or local power broker”
Modern English
English
cacique
“A native chief, especially in Latin America; also a political boss in some contexts”