[MR] Headman vis-a-vis Headsman

[jbrmm266 at aol.com]

"Tabbetha Atyeo" wrote:
 
<"Headman" meant "chief" or "leader", so there is no help there.>
 
Forgive me, m'lady, but what I wrote was "Headsman."


According to Merriam-Webster Online:

While a "headman" is indeed a chief or leader:


head·man  

Function: 

noun 

Date: 

before 12th century 

1 a\hed-man\: foreman, overseer b\-man, -man\: a lesser chief of a primitive community

(Webster also gives "Headsman" as an alternate meaning for "Headman")

a headsman is an executioner, especially one who executes by beheading:


heads·man  

Pronunciation: 

\ˈhedz-mən\ 

Function: 

noun 

Date: 

1600 

: one that beheads : executioner 

Your servant aye
Donal