chief
‘head, principal’
Lexical development traced from the Tamil root:
E. chef, cheyff, cheefe, chiefe < O.F. chief ‘chief, principal, first’ < Mod.F. chef < Vulgar Lat. capum < Lat. caput ‘head’ < cheef < kaput- < Tamil kappu
chief
English words derived from Tamil kappal connoting 'ship'