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la munition was erroneously assumed to
ORIGINS OF MILITARY have been l’aminunition. Both words,
“ammunition” and “munitions,” are now
WORDS used in English as being roughly
synonymous; “munitions” is, however,
Aide-De-Camp, A term of French origin, generally more inclusive.
whose usual abbreviation is ADC. An Aide-
De-Camp is an officer whose duty is to Battalion from the Italian battaglione,
assist and generally attend on an officer of “little battle.” Let’s say that an organization
high rank. Distinguished officers are large enough to “fight a little battle” became
appointed aide-decamp to the President of known as a battalion. That is not a very
the Republic. The appointment is identified scientific derivation, but is pretty close.
by uniform trimmings, aiguillettes or
badges. Battery from the Latin battere, “to beat.”
The gun battery is so called because it
Army, In French, armee, which in turn is “beats on” the enemy. “Battle” and
from the Latin armare, “to arm.” Armada is “battalion” both go back to this same root.
what the word-wizards call a “doublet”: it
comes from the same origin as “army” but Barrel The use of this word to mean a part
in taking another route has acquired a of a rifle or cannon does not come from its
different meaning (“a fleet of warships”). resemblance to the receptacle we ordinarily
think of as a barrel. Rather, both words
Artillery, French, artiller, “to equip.” The came from the same source: “something
word originally referred to all engines of made of bars.” An early type of cannon was
war and military equipment. By the constructed by welding long wrought-iron
sixteenth century the word began to mean bars together and shrinking iron hoops
“guns”, by the eighteenth century it began around them. The construction method was
to refer to the service that handled the guns. abandoned, but the term remained.
Ambulance From the French hospital Batman (British term for an officer’s
ambulant, “moving hospital.” Originally a “orderly”). Bat is Old French for “burden.”
temporary field hospital, the word now The batman (or batboy) was the soldier
means a vehicle used for moving wounded. who used to take care of the officers’
equipment carried on the “bat [pack]
Ambush Formerly “ambush,” it can be horses.” When the term “bathorse”
traced back to the Old French embucher disappeared, the word “batman” remained
(“to go into the woods”) and the Italian for an officer’s orderly.
emboscata (“hidden in the woods”).
Webster points out that “ambuscade is now Comrade From the Spanish camerad-o,
the regular military term for the legitimate this came in turn from the Latin camera
disposition of troops in concealment; “room.” It originally meant “roommate.”
ambush is less formal and is often applied
to such lying in wait as is unfair or Corporal From the Italian capo di squadra,
cowardly.” “squad [square] leader.”
Ammunition Latin, meaning generally Ensign comes from the Latin word
“fortify by building a wall.” The word insignia that meant and still means emblem
“munitions” came to mean any provisions or banner. A warrior who carried his lord’s
for defense. The “a” got added in English banner or ensign became known as an
by mistake: the French ensign bearer and then just an Ensign.
