Where does “cipaye” come from?
cipaye (French) comes from English sepoy, from Portuguese sipae, from Urdu سپاہی, from Classical Persian سپاهی, from Persian سپاه, from Proto-Iranian *cwáHdah, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćwáHdʰaH, from Proto-Indo-European ḱwéh₁-dʰ-o-h₁.
cipaye (French): a native Indian infantry soldier in a French colonial regiment prior to 1898, when they were disbanded and replaced by a locally recruited gendarmerie. Cipayes were the French equivalent of the Indian sepoys in British service
Definitions
- a native Indian infantry soldier in a French colonial regiment prior to 1898, when they were disbanded and replaced by a locally recruited gendarmerie. Cipayes were the French equivalent of the Indian sepoys in British service