commando

English

Etymology

From Afrikaans kommando, from Portuguese comando (command),[1] from Late Latin *commandare, from Latin commendare.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /kəˈmɑːn.dəʊ/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɑːndəʊ
  • (US) IPA(key): /kəˈmændoʊ/

Noun

commando (plural commandos or commandoes)

  1. A small fighting force specially trained for making quick destructive raids against enemy-held areas.
    • 1977, Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace, New York: Review Books, published 2006, page 89:
      The most important objective was at Batna itself, where a group of three commandos each comprising ten men was to attack Deleplanque's sub-prefecture [...].
  2. A commando trooper.
    • 2022 March 8, “Tory MP’s son among UK ex-servicemen heading to Ukrainian front line”, in the Guardian:
      Ben Grant, 30, who spent more than five years as a commando in the Royal Marines, is part of group of seven ex-servicemen who arrived in Ukraine over the weekend to fight invading Russian forces.
  3. (historical) An organized force of Boer troops in South Africa; a raid by such troops.

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Dutch: commando
  • Greek: κομάντο (kománto)

Translations

References

  1. Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “commando”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kɔˈmɑn.doː/, /koːˈmɑn.doː/
  • Hyphenation: com‧man‧do

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish comando.

Noun

commando n (plural commando's)

  1. military command [from 17th c.]
    Synonym: bevel
  2. order, imperative (especially in relation to the military or animal training) [from 17th c.]
    Synonym: bevel
  3. unit or division over whom an officer has command [from 17th c.]

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English commando, from Afrikaans kommando, from Portuguese comando.

Noun

commando m (plural commando's)

  1. commando, special forces unit [from 20th c.]
  2. commando, member of a special forces unit [from mid 20th c.]

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kɔ.mɑ̃.do/
  • (file)

Noun

commando m (plural commandos)

  1. commando (troop, trooper)

Descendants

Further reading

Italian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /komˈman.do/
  • Rhymes: -ando
  • Hyphenation: com‧màn‧do

Noun

commando m (plural commandi)

  1. commando (troop)

Latin

Etymology 1

Refection of commendō based on the unprefixed counterpart mandō.

Pronunciation

Verb

commandō (present infinitive commandāre); first conjugation, no perfect or supine stem

  1. Alternative form of commendō
    • 2nd century CE, Velius Longus, De Orthographia:
      ...et quamvis commendo dicamus tamen commando in consuetudine est.[1]
      ...and although we may say commendo, commando is still in use.
Descendants

Etymology 2

From con- + mandō.

Verb

commandō (present infinitive commandere, perfect active commandī, supine commānsum); third conjugation (Late Latin)

  1. to chew

References

Further reading

Portuguese

Noun

commando m (plural commandos)

  1. Obsolete spelling of comando

Verb

commando

  1. Obsolete spelling of comando

Verb

commando

  1. first-person singular present indicative of commandar
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.