English Explanatory Dictionary

hetman

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A Cossack headman or general.
  2. Title used by the second-highest military commander in Poland and Lithuania (15th to 18th century).

Word forms

hetman hetmans hetmen

Etymology

From Polish hetman, probably from Middle High German houbetman, heuptman (“commander”), from Old High German houbitman, from Proto-West Germanic *haubidamann. Compare modern German Hauptmann (“captain”), Haupt, Mann. The Polish e in hetman attests to a borrowing from an East Central German dialect, in which Middle High German -öu- gives -ē-. Doublet of head man.

Related words

ataman hegumen

Derived words

hetmanate hetmanship
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