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chieftain

Historical Figure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A leader or commander, especially of a clan or group. In older writing it can mean a chief or captain.

Detailed Definition
In literary and historical contexts, chieftain often refers to a tribal leader, military commander, or person of high rank. Here it describes the boy's father as a commanding figure below deck, giving the poem a more elevated, old-fashioned tone.
Example
Example in poetry:
“He knew not that the chieftain lay / Unconscious of his son” presents a leader in a dramatic narrative; The chieftain’s banner sags above the silent camp; A village chieftain listens before speaking for the river; In elegy, the chieftain becomes both parent and public symbol
Additional Notes
The word in the line "He knew not that the chieftain lay" is a less common, old-fashioned term for a leader, so readers may need to look it up.; Found in the poem, Casabianca by Felicia Dorothea Hemans
Also Known As
leader headman captain
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