Soldier
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| Soldier | |
|---|---|
 German soldiers in Bosnia |
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| Occupation | |
| Type | Profession |
| Activity sectors | Military |
| Description | |
| Competencies | Physical and intellectual abilities, stamina, mindset |
| Fields of employment | Army |
| Related jobs | Commando, SWAT, policeman, mercenary |
Soldier refers to a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas, a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be a mercenary.[1] In most languages, "soldier" includes commissioned and non-commissioned officers in national land forces.
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[edit] Etymology
The word soldier is derived from an Old French word, itself a derivation of Solidarius, Latin for someone who served in the armed forces for pay, as opposed to warriors in tribal society where every grown man is automatically a member of his clan's fighting force. Solidare in Latin means "to pay"; Roman soldiers were paid in solidi, so-called because they were a new type of solid silver coin brought in after a reform of the Roman monetary system.
[edit] Non-English equivalents
The common Roman's origin for the words soldier and payment survives not only in French as soldat and solde, but also in other languages, like German Soldat and Sold, Spanish soldado and sueldo, Portuguese soldado and soldo, Dutch soldaat and soldij, Italian "soldato" and "soldo", Arabic "Jondi, جندي" or "mojannad, مجنّد" or "Askar, عسكر" in the Lebanese Dialect.
In the Russian language the word soldier is also "солдат" ("soldat"), although it is not related to the Russian word for money, but was borrowed from German use. In some languages the word soldier is derived from different etymology, for example Estonian "sõdur" is derived from word "sõda," which means "war." And Finnish "sotilas" or "soturi", and "sota" meaning "war".
[edit] Occupational specialities
In most armed forces the word soldier has been mostly abandoned with increasing specialisation in military occupations that require different areas of knowledge and skill-sets, and have been replaced by names which reflect Arm, Service or Branch of individual's service, type of unit or operational employment or technical use such as: trooper, tanker, Commando, dragoon, infantryman, marine, paratrooper, ranger, sniper, engineer, sapper, or a gunner.
[edit] Other terms
In many countries soldiers serving in specific occupations are referred to by terms other than their occupational name. For example military police personnel in the U.K. are known as "redcaps" from the colour of their berets or other headwear. In the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps, infantrymen are called "grunts", while artillerymen are sometimes referred to as "redlegs", from the branch color for artillery. In the UK Royal Artillery men are occasionally known as "drop shorts" due to their alleged propensity for dropping rounds short of the intended target. French Marine Infantry are called marsouins (porpoises) because of their amphibious role. Military units in most armies have nicknames of this type, arising either from items of distinctive uniform, some historical connotation or rivalry between branches or regiments. Such as U.S. Marines being called jar-heads because of their "high and tight" haircut and mannerism with which they wear their hat makes their head look like the cap of a jar or decanter, and U.S. Army soldiers are called "Hooas" for the reply they give when acknowledging orders or verbal commands.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "mercenary." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 16 May. 2009. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary1.classic.reference.com/browse/mercenary>.
[edit] External links
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