A variant spelling of chancellor; a high-ranking official in government or a university.
From Old French cancelier, derived from Late Latin cancellarius (officer who stood at the cancelli, or latticed barrier), ultimately from cancellus meaning 'lattice' or 'grating.'
The word 'cancelier' preserves an older French spelling that reveals how medieval court officials literally stood behind latticed screens—the barrier itself gave the position its name!
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