voivode

Variously from a number of Slavic languages including Bulgarian войвода (vojvoda), Czech vojevoda, Polish wojewoda, Russian воево́да (vojevóda), and Serbo-Croatian vojvoda, војвода,^[1] all from Proto-Slavic *vojevoda (“army leader; duke; warlord”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈvɔɪˌvəʊd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈvɔɪˌvoʊd/
• Hyphenation: voi‧vode

voivode (plural voivodes)

1. A local ruler or official in various parts of central and eastern Europe, especially early semi-independent rulers of Transylvania.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 27, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

     George Sechell […], having been defeated in a battle by the Vayvoda of Transylvania, and taken Prisoner, was for three days together tied naked to a wooden horse, exposed to all manner of tortures, any man might devise against him […].

   • 1897, Bram Stoker, “Jonathan Harker’s Journal—Continued”, in Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library, →OCLC, chapter III, page 32:

     Who was it but one of my own race who as Voivode crossed the Danube and beat the Turk on his own ground? This was a Dracula indeed!

2. An administrative chief in modern Poland.

• woiwode, wojewoda, woywode, vaivode, voevod, voevoda, voivod, vojvoda, vojvode, voyevoda, voyvoda

• voivodeship

• Vojvodina

• voivode on Wikipedia.Wikipedia