Askar
/ˈæs.kɑːr/noun
A soldier, especially one serving in a colonial military force in Africa or the Middle East.
Did you know?European colonial powers widely used askars as locally recruited troops, including in German East Africa, where their military service became central to colonial warfare.
Etymological Timeline
Middle Persian
Middle Persian
laškar
“Army or military force”
Classical Persian
Persian
laškar
“Army; a body of troops”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
ʿaskar
“Army or military camp, borrowed from Persian”
19th Century
Swahili
askari
“Soldier or guard, from Arabic ʿaskar”
19th Century
English
askar
“A locally recruited soldier serving in a colonial army”
Modern English
English
askar
“A soldier, especially one in a colonial or foreign military force”