citizen-soldier
UK[ˈsɪt.ɪ.zən ˈsəʊl.dʒər]US[ˈsɪt̬.ə.zən ˈsoʊl.dʒər]
n
a person who is primarily a civilian but also serves as a member of a military force, especially in a reserve or militia capacity.
Morpheme Breakdown
citizen
soldier
citizen
soldier
Etymology
the compound "citizen-soldier" is a modern english formation that conceptually merges two distinct social roles, each with deep historical roots. "citizen" traces back to the latin "civis," referring to a member of a political community, embodying civic rights and duties. "soldier" originates from the late latin "solidus," a coin, reflecting the historical reality of paid military service. the hyphenated compound, emerging prominently in the context of modern democratic and republican states, logically fuses these concepts to describe an individual whose primary identity is rooted in civilian life but who assumes the military role when called upon, epitomizing the ideal of a populace defending its own polity. this term highlights the evolution from professional mercenaries or standing armies to a model where military obligation is integrated into the concept of citizenship itself.
Analysis
Structure: citizen + soldier
citizen: from middle english 'citisein', from anglo-french 'citezein', based on latin 'civitas' (state, citizenship). functions as the base noun denoting a member of a state or community.
soldier: from middle english 'soudeour', from old french 'soudoier' (one who serves for pay), from 'soude' (pay), from late latin 'solidus' (a gold coin). functions as the base noun denoting a person who serves in an army.
Examples
the national guard is largely composed of citizen-soldiers who balance civilian careers with military training.
the concept of the citizen-soldier is central to the militia tradition in the united states.
during the emergency, the government mobilized thousands of citizen-soldiers to bolster the regular army.