Adjutant
/ˈædʒ.ə.tənt/noun
An assistant or helper, especially a military officer who helps a commander with administrative duties.
Did you know?Adjutant comes from Latin adjūtāns, the present participle of adjuvāre, and it shares an ancient root with words about helping, joining, and even the name Jupiter’s godly “aid” energy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
ey-
“to aid, strengthen”
Latin
Latin
iuvare
“to help, assist”
Latin
Latin
ad iuvare
“to help toward, give aid to”
Late Latin
Latin
adiutant-
“helping, assisting”
Old French
Old French
adjutant
“assistant, helper”
Early Modern English
English
adjutant
“a military assistant or aide”
Modern English
English
adjutant
“an assistant, especially a military officer with administrative duties”