The office, position, or term of service of a chaplain; the role or status of being a chaplain.
From chaplain + -ship (suffix forming nouns denoting office, rank, status, or the period of holding such a position). The -ship suffix is Old English in origin.
The -ship suffix is remarkably productive in English: friendship, citizenship, championship—each one transforms a noun into a concept of status or relationship, showing how English loves to formalize social positions.
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