Word origin
[1550–60; ‹‹ Slavic; cf. Pol
wojewoda, Russ
voevóda, Serbo-Croatian
vȍj(e)voda, OCS
vojevoda commander, governor (translating Gk
hēgemo᷇n and
stratēgós), equiv. to
voj- base of
voinŭ warrior +
-e- var. (after
j) of
-o- -o- +
-voda, n. deriv. of
voditi to lead;
vaivode ‹ Hungarian
vajvoda (now
vajda) ‹ Slavic
]This word is first recorded in the period 1550–60. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: haul, modulate, multiplex, rhythm, urge-o- is the typical ending of the first element of compounds of Greek origin (as -i- is, in compounds of Latin origin), used regularly in forming new compounds with elementsof Greek origin and often used in English as a connective irrespective of etymology(Franco-Italian; geography; seriocomic; speedometer)