Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hussar” come from?

Hussar comes from French hussard, from Hungarian huszár, from Italian corsaro meaning "corsair" or "raider," ultimately from Latin cursus meaning "a running or course" with the agent suffix -arius, derived from Proto-Indo-European kers- meaning "to run."

hussar (English): A member of the national cavalry of Hungary,...

Definitions

  1. A member of the national cavalry of Hungary,...

Ancestry of “hussar”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchhussardhussar
2GermanHusarhussar
3Hungarianhuszárhussar; knight
4Serbo-Croatiangusarpirate, corsair
5Italiancorsaroprivateering, pirate; a privateer, corsair
6Medieval Latincursariuspirate, sea-raider; pirate, sea-raider, corsair;...
7LatincursusThe act of running; race; Course, way, passage,...
8Latincurrō—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱer-to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,...
10Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-to turn, to bend
11Proto-Indo-Europeanker-army
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ker- →