chief
UK[tʃiːf]US[tʃiːf]
n
A leader or ruler of a people or clan.
n
The head of an organization or department.
adj
Most important; principal.
Etymology
The word 'chief' entered English in the 14th century from the Old French 'chief' or 'chef', meaning 'head' or 'leader'. This Old French term derived from the Latin 'caput', meaning 'head'. The semantic journey from the literal body part 'head' to the metaphorical 'leader' or 'most important part' is a classic example of metonymy, a process where a word for a part comes to represent the whole concept of leadership or primacy. This Latin root 'caput' is also the source of other English words like 'capital', 'captain', and 'decapitate', all relating to the concept of the head.
Analysis
The word 'chief' is a simplex word borrowed from Old French. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
The tribal chief made all the important decisions for the community.
She was appointed chief of the cardiology department at the hospital.
Our chief concern is the safety of the passengers.