Etymologically
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soldat

Etymology and origin of the French word soldat

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1475
Borrowed from
Italian soldato
Ultimate origin
Latin (solidus)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /sɔl.da/[1]

Forms

soldat m (plural soldats, feminine soldate)[1] Also souldat in the 16th century; feminine soldate.[2][1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian soldato (“soldier, literally one who is paid”), the past participle used as a noun of soldare (“to pay (soldiers)”), from soldo (“coin; pay”).[3][2][4][5][1][6] “Soldo” goes back to Late Latin solidus (“gold coin”), the source of French sou, Rey traces “soldare” to Latin solidō (“to make solid”).[7][2] It replaced soudard, which became pejorative, and Old French “soldeier”, “soudoier”, the source of English soldier.[4][2][8] The Italian word also gave Spanish soldado and German Soldat, and the French word spread with the prestige of French armies in the 17th century.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record, in a document of 1475 printed with Commynes' memoirs, is a man of war in the pay of a prince or state.[3][2]

Semantic evolution

From 1560 it named a soldier without rank, also simple soldat (1587), and a man with military qualities, soldat de fortune meant an adventurer (1590–1604) and later an officer risen from the ranks (1636).[3][2][7] Figuratively it is one who fights for a cause (1604, soldat d'amour, soldat de la foi).[3][2] Its connotations changed: from the 15th to the 18th century it suggested the mercenary, as the etymology implies, while after 1789 the citizen soldier gave it positive values.[2] In zoology it named the hermit crab (1645) and, from 1791, the defenders of a termite or ant colony.[3][2]

Timeline

  • 1475 – First record.[3]
  • 1560 – A private soldier, Grévin.[3]
  • 1587 – Simple soldat, La Noue.[7]
  • 1604 – Figurative soldat d'amour, Montchrestien.[3]
  • 1645 – The hermit crab.[3]
  • 1791 – A soldier termite.[2]
  • 1923 – Le Soldat inconnu.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A soldier: soldats de métier, le Soldat inconnu.[9][1]
  2. A private, a soldier without rank: simple soldat.[10][3]
  3. (literary) A champion, fighter for a cause: les soldats de la liberté.[10][2]
  4. (zoology) A soldier ant or termite.[10][2]
  5. Jouer au petit soldat: to play the hero, soldats de plomb, tin soldiers.[2]

Word family

  • soldate
  • soldatesque
  • solde
  • sou
  • soudard
  • soudoyer
  • English soldier

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 12, 54b
  7. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Soldat.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/soldat. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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