From the same stem as the verbs vadīt, vest(“to drive, to lead”) (q.v.). The original meaning was thus “leader, one who leads”; the technical meaning of “duct, pipe, vessel” arose in the 1920s, under the influence of Russianпро́вод(próvod), GermanLeitung. Cognates include Lithuanianvãdas(“leader, commander”), Slavic -voda in compounds such as Russian historical воево́да(vojevóda, “war leader”), Czechvévoda(“duke”), Polishwojewoda(“ruler of a region, district”).[1]
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