Hussar
/hʊˈzɑːr/noun
A member of a class of light cavalry originally associated with Hungary.
Did you know?The English word comes through German/French from Hungarian *huszár*, a cavalryman term tied to the historical border warfare of the Hungarian kingdom, not to any occult meaning despite its dramatic aura.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱm̥tóm
“one hundred”
Latin
Latin
centum
“one hundred”
Late Latin
Latin
censarius
“taxpayer; one belonging to a census class”
Medieval Hungarian
Hungarian
huszár
“light horseman, cavalryman”
16th Century
German/French
Husar / hussard
“a type of light cavalry soldier”
17th Century
English
hussar
“light cavalry soldier, especially in Hungarian style”