sepoy
UK[ˈsiːpɔɪ]US[ˈsiːpɔɪ]
n
An Indian soldier serving under British or other European orders.
Etymology
The word 'sepoy' entered the English language during the period of British colonial rule in India, borrowed directly from the Urdu and Persian term 'sipāhī'. Its ultimate origin lies in the Persian word 'sipāh', meaning 'army', which can be traced back to the Old Persian 'spāda-'. The term specifically came to denote an Indian infantryman in the service of a European power, most famously the British East India Company and later the British Indian Army. Its journey from a general Persian term for soldier to a specific historical designation in English encapsulates the dynamics of colonial military organization.
Analysis
The word is a loanword adopted as a single unit into English. It originates from the Urdu & Persian word 'sipāhī', meaning 'soldier', which itself derives from 'sipāh', meaning 'army'.
Examples
The rebellion was sparked by rumors that the new rifle cartridges issued to the sepoys were greased with cow and pig fat.
He served as a sepoy in the Bengal Army for over twenty years.
The museum exhibit detailed the daily life and equipment of a typical sepoy in the 19th century.