[voi-vohd] 
| (in Eastern European history) a local ruler or governor, esp. the semi-independent rulers of Transylvania, Wallachia, or Moldavia before c1700. |
n 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