gendarme
UK[ˈʒɒn.dɑːm]US[ˈʒɑːn.dɑːrm]
n
a member of a military force, especially in france, serving as an armed police officer for public order.
n
(by extension) any armed police officer or soldier with police duties in certain countries.
Etymology
the english word 'gendarme' is a direct borrowing from the french 'gendarme', which originally meant "man-at-arms" or "soldier". the french term itself is a contraction of the earlier phrase 'gens d'armes', literally meaning "men of arms" or "armed people". this phrase is composed of 'gens' (people, men) from latin 'gens' (clan, nation) and 'd'armes' (of arms) from latin 'arma' (arms, weapons). the term's journey reflects a specialization from a general armed retainer to a specific national police force with military status, a concept which english then borrowed to refer to such foreign officers.
Analysis
this word is a loanword from french, adopted as a whole unit into english. it is not productively segmented using english morphemes.
Examples
the village was patrolled by a gendarme on horseback.
the french gendarmerie is a branch of the armed forces responsible for public safety.
he was questioned by a gendarme at the border checkpoint.