Where does “bashi-bazouk” come from?
bashi-bazouk (English) comes from Turkish başıbozuk, from Turkish baş, from French basse, from Italian basso, from Latin Bassus, from Ancient Greek βάσις, from Proto-Hellenic gʷə́tis, from Proto-Indo-European gʷémtis — to step.
bashi-bazouk (English): An irregular soldier of the Ottoman army
Definitions
- An irregular soldier of the Ottoman army
Ancestry of “bashi-bazouk”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turkish | başıbozuk | messy, chaotic |
| 2 | Turkish | baş | head; leader of a group; outset of something |
| 3 | French | basse | feminine singular of bas; bass; acoustic guitar |
| 4 | Italian | basso | low; short; narrow, thin |
| 5 | Latin | Bassus | thick, fat, stumpy, short, low, base |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | βάσις | step; rhythm; foot |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | gʷə́tis | step |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷémtis | step, act of walking |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷem- | to step |