Ras

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A title for an Ethiopian or Eritrean chief or prince; a prominent or noble leader in certain African cultures; a term denoting a person of high rank or authority in historical contexts
2. A designation used to describe a traditional ruler or aristocrat in northeastern Africa; a term signifying leadership or governance in specific ethnic groups; historically, a noble personage in Ethiopian society
3. Used as a formal appellation for a regional ruler or dignitary in Eritrean or Ethiopian heritage; refers to someone holding considerable social or political power; recognized as a rank of nobility in African history

Etymology: In the Ethiopian nobility, a ras was a high-ranking lord, often a provincial governor or army commander, who ranked just below the negus, or king. The title is a plain Semitic word meaning "head," the same root as Arabic "ra's" and Hebrew "rosh." A ras was, in effect, the head of a region or of an army. The title is best known through a man who held it before he became emperor. Tafari Makonnen was known as Ras Tafari, and when he took the throne as Haile Selassie, his former title gave its name to the Rastafari movement. The religious movement took its name from a secular Ethiopian rank meaning "head," not from any Jamaican or biblical source.

Synonyms: chieftain