noun
- A chief or leader of a Muslim people in the Philippines or Malaysia.
Usage: Also spelled 'dato' or 'datu'.; Primarily used in historical and regional contexts.
Examples
- The datto governed his village with traditional authority and customs.
- Local historians studied the role of the datto in pre-colonial Philippine society.
- The datto negotiated trade agreements with neighboring communities.
- In Malaysian culture, a datto holds significant social and political status.