commando

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Afrikaans kommando, from Portuguese comando (command),[1] from Late Latin *commandare, from Latin commendare.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (UK) IPA(key): /kəˈmɑːn.dəʊ/
  • (file)

Noun[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

commando (plural commandos or commandoes)

  1. A small fighting force specially trained for making quick destructive raids against enemy-held areas.
    • 1977, Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace, New York: Review Books, published 2006, page 89:
      The most important objective was at Batna itself, where a group of three commandos each comprising ten men was to attack Deleplanque's sub-prefecture [...].
  2. A commando trooper.
    • 2022 March 8, “Tory MP’s son among UK ex-servicemen heading to Ukrainian front line”, in the Guardian[1]:
      Ben Grant, 30, who spent more than five years as a commando in the Royal Marines, is part of group of seven ex-servicemen who arrived in Ukraine over the weekend to fight invading Russian forces.
  3. (historical) An organized force of Boer troops in South Africa; a raid by such troops.

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • Dutch: commando
  • Greek: κομάντο (kománto)

Translations[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024), “commando”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Dutch[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /kɔˈmɑn.doː/, /koːˈmɑn.doː/
  • Hyphenation: com‧man‧do

Etymology 1[edit]

Borrowed from Spanish comando.

Noun[edit]

commando n (plural commando's)

  1. military command [from 17th c.]
    Synonym: bevel
  2. order, imperative (especially in relation to the military or animal training) [from 17th c.]
    Synonym: bevel
  3. unit or division over whom an officer has command [from 17th c.]

Etymology 2[edit]

Borrowed from English commando, from Afrikaans kommando, from Portuguese comando.

Noun[edit]

commando m (plural commando's)

  1. commando, special forces unit [from 20th c.]
  2. commando, member of a special forces unit [from mid 20th c.]

French[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

commando m (plural commandos)

  1. commando (troop, trooper)

Descendants[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Italian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /komˈman.do/
  • Rhymes: -ando
  • Hyphenation: com‧màn‧do

Noun[edit]

commando m (plural commandi)

  1. commando (troop)

Latin[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Refection of commendō based on the unprefixed counterpart mandō.

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

commandō (present infinitive commandāre); first conjugation, no perfect or supine stem

  1. Alternative form of commendō
    • 2nd century CE, Velius Longus, De Orthographia:
      ...et quamvis commendo dicamus tamen commando in consuetudine est.[1]
      ...and although we may say commendo, commando is still in use.
Descendants[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From con- +‎ mandō.

Verb[edit]

commandō (present infinitive commandere, perfect active commandī, supine commānsum); third conjugation (Late Latin)

  1. to chew

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Portuguese[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Noun[edit]

commando m (plural commandos)

  1. Obsolete spelling of comando

Verb[edit]

commando

  1. Obsolete spelling of comando

Etymology 2[edit]

Verb[edit]

commando

  1. first-person singular present indicative of commandar