sarpanch

Meaning

Noun

• The elected head of a panchayat (village government) in Bangladesh, India, or Pakistan.

Origin

• Borrowed from Hindi सरपंच, from Hindi सर ("head") / Urdu سر ("head; chief") (from Persian سر ("head; chief, leader"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- ("head; top")) + Hindi पंच ("five (number of people in a panchayat council)") / Urdu پنچ; from Sanskrit पञ्चन् ("five"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pénkʷe ("five").