soldier English · revision 5044

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=a. 1300|origins=la solidus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈsəʊl.dʒə/, US /ˈsoʊl.dʒɚ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|soudier|alt=souder, soudiour]], [[bor|fro|soudier|alt=soudier, soldier|t=one who serves in an army for pay]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from soulde “pay”,^(Cresswell 2021)^(NODE 1998) from Late Latin soldum, from Latin [[m|la|solidus]], the name of a Roman gold coin,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) literally a coin of solid metal.^(Etymonline) Medieval Latin soldārius “soldier” was also a source.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) It is related to [[solid]] and [[solidus]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A man who serves in an army for pay: before 1300 in the OED and Barnhart, about 1300 in Etymonline.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) The word marked a fighter paid for service, at a time when many men fought in service to a feudal lord.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The spelling with -l- is from the mid-14th century, in imitation of Latin, but the old pronunciation survived in spellings such as sojer.^(Etymonline) One who fights for a cause, especially in religious language, is from 1340.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) A man of military skill is from 1603.^(OED 1989) The verb, to serve as a soldier, is from the 1640s (1647 in MWU),^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) and in the 19th century, probably from sailors' language, it meant to shirk or work poorly.^(Etymonline) A toy soldier is from 1878, and a rank-and-file Mafia member from 1963.^(OED 1989) ''Soldier on'' is from 1954.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * a. 1300 – a paid fighter.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1340 – a fighter for a cause.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1647 – verb.^(MWU 2024)

+ * 1878 – a toy soldier.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1954 – ''soldier on''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1963 – a member of the Mafia.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person who serves in an [[army]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # An enlisted person rather than an officer.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # An active and loyal follower of a cause.^(AHD)

+ # In some ants and termites, a member with a large head and jaws that defends the colony.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To serve as a soldier.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''soldier on'': to keep going in spite of difficulties.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[soldierly]]

+ * [[soldiership]]

+ * [[soldierfish]]

+ * [[soldiery]]

+ * [[dead soldier]]

+ * [[buffalo soldier]]

+ * [[Canadian soldier]]

+ * [[chocolate soldier]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[solid]]

+ * [[solidus]]

+ * [[sou]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}