martinet

Where does the word "martinet" come from? It comes from French Martinet, and was adopted directly into English (1670s).

Martinet’s story begins in French: Martinet meant “a family name.” Jean Martinet, inspector-general of Louis XIV's infantry, drilled the new standing army; he was killed, reportedly by his own side's fire, at the siege of Duisburg in 1672. It reached English by 1670s as martinet. First a name for his drill system, by the 1770s it meant any strict disciplinarian. Today, martinet means a person who demands strict obedience to rules.

1. Stage 1 · French · 1660s Martinet "a family name", Jean Martinet, inspector-general of Louis XIV's infantry, drilled the new standing army; he was killed, reportedly by his own side's fire, at the siege of Duisburg in 1672.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1670s martinet "strict disciplinarian", first a name for his drill system, by the 1770s it meant any strict disciplinarian.