chieftainship

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the position, authority, or period of rule of a chieftain

   Her chieftainship depended on support from the clan's senior families.

2. 2
   noun

   a community or territory governed by a chieftain

   Several villages formed a single chieftainship under customary law.

From chieftain + -ship. Chieftain entered Middle English through Anglo-French from Late Latin capitaneus, 'chief,' while -ship marks a state, office, or domain. Chieftainship is therefore both the office and, historically, the area under it.

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