jawan

English

Wikipedia

WOTD – 12 October 2011    

Etymology

From Persian جوان (javân, “young, a youth”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /dʒəˈwɑːn/

Noun

jawan (plural jawans)

1. (India) An infantryman; a soldier.
   • 1992, Satyindra Singh, Blueprint to Bluewater: The Indian Navy, 1951-65, page 402

     In any event we soon had the Army jawan sent by the Major with us in the boat and headed for shore.

   • 1999, R. D. Pradhan, Debacle to Revival: Y.B. Chavan as Defence Minister, 1962-65, page 44

     He obviously expected one of the senior army officials to walk over and talk to the jawan.

Translations

infantryman, soldier

• Finnish: sotapoika (fi), sotilas (fi)
• German: Infanterist (de) m, Soldat (de) m
• Marathi: जवान (mr) (jawaan) m, सैनिक (mr) (sainik)

• Russian: солдат (ru) (soldat) m
• Telugu: జవాను (te)