Alcaid

/ælˈkeɪd/ noun

Definition

A variant spelling of alcade; a Muslim or Spanish military commander or fortress governor.

Etymology

Alternative spelling of alcade, from Arabic al-qāʾid meaning 'leader', showing variant transliterations from Arabic that were common in English historical texts.

Kelly Says

The multiple spellings (alcaid, alcade, alcaide) for the same Arabic root word reveal how English writers in the 1600s-1800s were phonetically spelling words they heard, with no standardized system yet.

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