'alcayde' originates from Arabic, specifically the word 'al-qā'id', where 'al-' meant 'the' and 'qā'id' meant 'leader' or 'commander'.

'al-qā'id' transformed into the Spanish word 'alcayde', and eventually became the modern English word 'alcayde'.

Initially, it meant 'leader or commander', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.