solider

The word 'soldier' has a fascinating origin rooted in economics rather than warfare. It derives from the Late Latin word solidus, which was a specific type of gold coin used to pay Roman troops. This term passed into Anglo-French as soudee, meaning "pay," and a person who received such pay for military service was a soudeour. The semantic shift from "one who is paid" to specifically "one paid to fight" occurred as the word evolved through Middle English into its modern form. Thus, the modern abstract concept of a professional combatant is historically linked to the very concrete idea of a wage earner.

The word is a simplex form. It originates from Middle English soudeour, from Anglo-French, from soudee meaning "pay, soldier's pay," ultimately from Late Latin solidus, a Roman gold coin. The functional role is that of a noun.