datu

[ dah-too ]

/ ˈdɑ tu /

Save This Word!

noun, plural da·tu, da·tus.

(in the Philippines) a Native chief.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

Also dato.

Origin of datu

First recorded in 1925–30; from Tagalog datu, dato “landowner, head of a clan or tribe”; akin to dato

Grogu, I said, make a peace with the great Datu of the rovers of the sea, give him a part of each harvest.
The Argus Pheasant|John Charles Beecham
The Datu of Padang, the old man who lost the forty buffaloes, is a venomous old rascal that we'll have to watch.
The Argus Pheasant|John Charles Beecham
Inchi tells me there is a persistent rumor in the town that the great Datu, the chief of all the pirates, is in Bulungan.
The Argus Pheasant|John Charles Beecham
The Datu is small in person, and emaciated in form, but has a quick eye and an intelligent countenance.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898|Various

His house is constructed in the same manner as that of the Datu, but is of larger dimensions, and the piles are rather higher.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898|Various