A chief or leader in Philippine and Malaysian cultures; variant spelling of 'dato' or 'datu', used as an honorific title.
From Malay 'datto' or 'datuk,' an official title of Southeast Asian origin. This alternate spelling was common in English colonial texts and Philippine historical documents of the 19th-20th centuries.
Regional leaders called 'dattos' in the Philippines historically negotiated with Spanish, American, and Japanese rulers, making them crucial figures in Southeast Asian political resistance and independence movements.
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