Etymology Map
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Shako

3 stages from Hungarian to English.

Today it means a tall cylindrical military hat with a peak and plume

Where does the word "shako" come from? It comes from Hungarian csákó, passing through French before entering English (1810s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
csákó
Hungarian · 1700s
"peaked cap"
short for csákós süveg 'peaked cap', part of the hussar uniform copied across Europe's armies
2
Stage 2 of 3
shako
French · 1800s
"tall military cap"
Napoleon's line infantry began replacing the bicorne hat with the shako from 1806
3
Stage 3 of 3
shako
English · 1810s
"tall military cap"
British infantry fought at Waterloo in 1815 wearing the 'Belgic' shako introduced in 1812
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Read the full story

Shako’s story begins in Hungarian: csákó meant “peaked cap.” Short for csákós süveg 'peaked cap', part of the hussar uniform copied across Europe's armies. By 1800s, the word had taken hold in French as shako. Napoleon's line infantry began replacing the bicorne hat with the shako from 1806. It reached English by 1810s as shako. British infantry fought at Waterloo in 1815 wearing the 'Belgic' shako introduced in 1812. Today, shako means a tall cylindrical military hat with a peak and plume.