Häuptling

German

Etymology

From Old Frisian hāvdling (“high member of the nobility”), probably via Middle Low German. Analyzable as Haupt +‎ -ling. The umlaut is probably due to the northern origin of the word and derives from the earlier Central German variant Häupt, though it might also be due to analogy with other words in -ling. The word was first adopted in the sense of “patriarch, family leader”, but was transferred and soon restricted to the ethnological sense of “chief” in the 19th century (as a loose equivalent of the English word).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈhɔʏ̯p(t).lɪŋ/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Häuptling m (genitive Häuptlings or Häuptlinges, plural Häuptlinge)

  1. chief (leader or co-leader of a tribe)
  2. (humorous) leader of some other kind
  3. (obsolete) patriarch (leader of a family)
  4. (obsolete) high member of the Frisian nobility

Declension
Declension of Häuptling
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Häuptling die Häuptlinge
genitive eines des Häuptlinges,
Häuptlings		 der Häuptlinge
dative einem dem Häuptling,
Häuptlinge1		 den Häuptlingen
accusative einen den Häuptling die Häuptlinge
1Now uncommon, see notes

Derived terms
  • Häuptlingszelt
  • Häuptlingstreffen
  • Häuptlingsversammlung
  • Indianerhäuptling
  • Friesenhäuptling
  • Stammeshäuptling

Further reading
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