cavalry

Where does the word "cavalry" come from? It comes from Latin caballus, passing through Italian before entering English (1540s).

Cavalry’s story begins in Latin: caballus meant “a horse.” A horse, especially a workhorse. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Italian as cavalleria. Settled in Italian for soldiers who fought on horseback. It reached English by 1540s as cavalry. Came via French 'cavalerie'; 'cavalier' and 'chivalry' share the root. Today, cavalry means soldiers who fight on horseback, or historically mounted troops.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient caballus "a horse", a horse, especially a workhorse.
2. Stage 2 · Italian · medieval cavalleria "soldiers who fight on horseback", settled in Italian for soldiers who fought on horseback.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1540s cavalry "soldiers who fight mounted on horseback", came via French 'cavalerie'; 'cavalier' and 'chivalry' share the root.