Lashkari
/lɑːʃˈkɑːri/noun
A military or army-related language, style, or person, especially one associated historically with South Asian armies.
Did you know?Lashkari was associated with the mixed speech of soldiers in South Asia, helping illustrate how armies can create new languages from Persian, Arabic, Turkic, and local vocabulary.
Etymological Timeline
Middle Persian
Middle Persian
laškar
“Army, military force, or camp”
Medieval Persian
Persian
laškar
“Army or host”
Medieval Persian
Persian
laškarī
“Of the army; military”
Mughal Period
Urdu/Hindustani
lashkarī
“Military or associated with an army; also connected with soldiers’ mixed speech”
18th–19th Century
Anglo-Indian English
lashkari
“A military term or name for the army-associated vernacular used in South Asia”
Modern English
English
lashkari
“A historical or linguistic term relating to armies, especially in South Asian contexts”