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Martinet

2 stages from French to English.

Today it means a person who demands strict obedience to rules

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

1
Stage 1 of 2
Martinet
French · 1660s
"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 of 2
martinet
English · 1670s
"strict disciplinarian"
first a name for his drill system, by the 1770s it meant any strict disciplinarian
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Read the full story

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.