dean: chief of a faculty or equivalent body in a higher education institution, such as คณบดีคณะนิติศาสตร์ (ká-ná-bɔɔ-dii-ká-ná-ní-dtì-sàat, “dean of law”). · dean: senior member of a group, organisation, etc, such as คณบดีคณะทูต (ká-ná-bɔɔ-dii-ká-ná-tûut, “dean of a diplomatic corps”).
köken: From Sanskrit गणपति (gaṇapati, literally “chief of a group”), from गण (gaṇa, “group”) + पति (pati, “chief; lord; master”); equivalent to Thai คณ (ká-ná-, “group, body; higher education faculty; etc”) + บดี (bɔɔ-dii, “chief; lord; master; leader; commander; etc”). Cognate with Old Khmer gaṇapati (“an epithet of the god Gaṇeśa or Śiva”).