Squire
/ˈskwɪər/noun
A young nobleman attendant to a knight, or a country gentleman.
Did you know?Squire comes through Old French from Latin *scutarius*, meaning “shield-bearer,” from *scutum* (“shield”), so its earliest history is literally about carrying protection into battle.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skeu-
“to cover, conceal, or protect”
Latin
Latin
scutum
“shield”
Late Latin
Latin
scutarius
“shield-bearer; one connected with shields”
Old French
Old French
escuier
“shield-bearer; attendant to a knight”
Middle English
English
squier
“a young man serving a knight, especially as a shield-bearer”
Modern English
English
squire
“a country gentleman or a knight’s attendant”
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