A chief or leader among certain South American indigenous peoples, particularly among groups in Brazil and the Caribbean.
From Tupi-Guarani languages (via Spanish cacique). The word entered English from colonial South American contact, referring to indigenous political leaders.
The word 'cassique' and its variant 'cacique' traveled through the Spanish colonial empire—the same word appears across the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America, showing how indigenous leadership structures influenced colonial languages.
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