English
fusilier
Fusilier comes from French fusilier ‘rifleman’, and goes back to Latin focus ‘fireplace’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfocus‘fireplace’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fuisil
- Frenchc. 1600–presentfusil‘rifle, gun’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentfusilier‘rifleman’
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfocus‘fireplace’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fuisil
- Frenchc. 1600–presentfusil‘rifle, gun’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentfusilier‘rifleman’
- Englishtodaysame form
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine’
phone, professor, ben, famous, phase, favor, favourite, ban, fantasy, fate, fancy, fame, photographer, phenomenon, fatal, bee, fairy, abandon, emphasis, infant, profession, fabulous, confess, phantom, symphony, beacon, beck, boon, eff, fab, fay, bane, prophetic, epiphany, fable, banish, buoy, profess, bene, banal, 125 more
through Latin focus ‘fireplace’
Today it means
noun An infantryman armed with a form of flintlock musket.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin focus / fusilier