Chiefling

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A young person of chiefly rank or a subordinate chief of lower standing
2. A lesser or junior chief, especially one who is young or holds authority over a small area
3. A chief of minor importance or a young individual destined for or holding a position of chiefly leadership

Etymology: "Chiefling" is a plain formation: the noun "chief" with the diminutive suffix "-ling," which English uses to mark something small, young, or minor, as in "duckling," "gosling," and "earthling." Attaching it to "chief" produces a title for a lesser leader, a chief in miniature. The word is also a doublet of two other coinages, "chefling" and "headling," meaning that all three arose from the same underlying idea of a junior head but took slightly different shapes. "Chief" itself came into English from Old French "chef," which descends from Latin "caput," meaning "head," so the whole family of words traces back to the body part.

Synonyms: petty chief, minor chief