infantry etymology

Etymology:

• Late Middle English (in the sense ‘a fighting man trained to fight on foot’): from Middle French infanterie, from médiéval Latin infantare, from Latin infans ‘infant, child’ (see infant), hence ‘foot soldier’.

Meaning:

• Soldiers who fight on foot, as opposed to cavalry or artillery.

Origin:

The first use of the term "infantry" in English can be traced back to the late Middle Ages, circa 1300-1400. It originates from the Latin word "infans," meaning "child" or "infant." This is because, in ancient times, infantrymen were typically young and inexperienced soldiers.

Over time, the term "infantry" came to be used specifically for soldiers who fought on foot, as opposed to those who fought on horseback (cavalry) or with artillery. This distinction became particularly important during the Renaissance and early modern periods, as firearms became more common and infantry played an increasingly crucial role in warfare.

Today, infantry is the backbone of most modern armies and is responsible for a wide range of combat tasks, from close-quarters battles to long-range patrols.

infantry relate terms

• infant

  Etymology The word infant comes from the Latin word infans which means not speaking

• bairn

  Etymology Middle English barne Old English bearn Proto Germanic barnaz Proto Indo E

• child

  Etymology The word child is derived from the Old English word cild which is itself

• infantryman

  Etymology French infanterie from Italian infanteria Latin infans child infant

• infantry

• foot

  Etymology The word foot derives from the Old English word fot which is of Germanic o

• martinet

  Etymology The word martinet comes from the French word Martin which in turn is a sh

• patrol

  Etymology The word patrol comes from the Middle French word patrouiller which in tur

• zouave

  Etymology From French zouave from Kabyle Berber zouaoua Meaning A member of a lig

• cohort

  Etymology The word cohort originates from the Latin word cohors which means enclosed

• squad

  Etymology Origin Italian squadrone a squadron of cavalry Word origin ultimately der

• janizary

  Etymology The term janizary derives from the Turkish word yeniçeri which means new

• neat

  Etymology The word neat has an interesting etymology with multiple meanings and origin

• holiday

  Etymology The word holiday originates from the Old English term hālīgdæg which me

• gazette

  Etymology and Origin The word gazette is derived from the Italian word gazzetta whi