partisan

English

WOTD - 4 March 2009    

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• partizan

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈpɑː.tɪˌzæn/, /ˌpɑː.təˈzæn/
• (US) IPA: /ˈpɑɹ.tɪ.zən/, /ˈpɑɹ.tə.zən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Etymology 1

From French partisan, from Italian partigiano (“defender of a party”), from parte (“part”).

Noun

partisan (plural partisans)

1. An adherent to a party or faction.
   • 1924: ARISTOTLE. Metaphysics. Translated by W. D. Ross. Nashotah, Wisconsin, USA: The Classical Library, 2001. Available at: <http://www.classicallibrary.org/aristotle/metaphysics/>. Book 1, Part 5.

     while Xenophanes, the first of these partisans of the One (for Parmenides is said to have been his pupil), gave no clear statement,

2. A fervent, sometimes militant, supporter or proponent of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea.
3. (now rare) The commander of a body of detached light troops engaged in making forays and harassing an enemy.
4. Any member of such troops.

Related terms

• part
• party

Translations

adherent to a party

Armenian: համախոհ (hy) (hamaxoh), կողմնակից (hy) (koġmnakic') Bulgarian: алебарда (bg) (alebárda) f. Czech: stoupenec (cs) m. Dutch: aanhanger (nl) m. Finnish: kannattaja (fi) French: militant (fr) m., militante (fr) f.

Ido: partisano (io) Russian: приверженец (ru) (privérženec) m., сторонник (ru) (storónnik) m., адепт (ru) (adépt) m., поборник (ru) (pobórnik) m. Scottish Gaelic: taobhaiche (gd) m. Spanish: partidario (es) m.

fervent supporter of a party

Danish: partisoldat (da) c. Esperanto: partizano (eo)

Finnish: puoluepukari (fi) French: partisan (fr) m., partisane (fr) f.

member of a body of detached light troops

Armenian: պարտիզան (hy) (partizan) Czech: partyzán (cs) m. Esperanto: partizano (eo) Finnish: partisaani (fi), sissi (fi)

French: partisan (fr) m. German: Partisan (de) m., Partisane (de) m. Hungarian: partizán (hu) Russian: партизан (ru) (partizán) m.

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Portuguese: [1-2] partidário m.

Adjective

partisan (comparative more partisan, superlative most partisan)

1. Adherent to a party or faction; especially, having the character of blind, passionate, or unreasonable adherence to a party; as, blinded by partisan zeal.
2. Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause: partisan politics.
3. Serving as commander or member of a body of detached light troops: as, a partisan officer or corps.

Translations

adherent to a party or faction

Czech: stranický (cs) Finnish: puolue- (fi) French: partisan (fr) m., partisane (fr) f.

Greek: μεροληπτικός (el) Portuguese: partidário (pt) m.

devoted to a party or group

Finnish: puolue- (fi), ryhmäkuntainen (fi)

French: partisan (fr) m., partisane (fr) f.

serving as a commander or member of a body of detached light troops

Czech: partyzánský (cs) Finnish: partisaani- (fi), sissi- (fi)

French: partisan (fr) m.

Etymology 2

From Middle French partizaine, partisanne et al., from Italian partigiana, related to Etymology 1, above (apparently because it was seen as a typical weapon of such forces).

Noun

partisan (plural partisans)

1. (historical) A spear with a triangular, double-edged blade.
2. (obsolete) A soldier armed with such a weapon.

Translations

type of spear

Finnish: pertuska (fi) French: pertuisane (fr) f.

Ido: partizano (io) Russian: протазан (ru) (protazán) m.

soldier

Finnish: pertuskamies (fi)

See also

• halberd

Anagrams

• aspirant

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French

Etymology

From Italian partigiano.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /paʁtisɑ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

partisan m. (plural partisans)

1. supporter, proponent, advocate

Adjective

partisan m. (f. partisane, m. plural partisans, f. plural partisanes)

1. partisan, partial
2. in favour of

Anagrams

• aspirant