4. MISCELLANEOUS
Base: area on which army relies for supplies and reinforcements. Formed from analogy with the base of a triangle, by the German military writer, Willisen, 1820. Greek basis—bai-no, go.
Battle: French bataille; Italian bataglia; Late Latin battalia, batt-ere, from Latin batu-ere, to beat.
Billet: French billet, a ticket for quarters; hence the quarters themselves.
Bivouac: German bewachen, to watch.
Bugle; short for bugle-horn, the horn of the bugle or wild ox. Old French bugle; Latin buculus, dim. of bos, ox, a bullock.
Camp: French camp; Latin campus, field.
Colours: first use temp. Elizabeth for military flags, because of their gay colours. French couleur; Latin color.
Communications (used by military writers in 19th cent.): Latin communicare, communis, common.
Condottieri: Italian mercenaries. Latin conductitii, led men.
Crew: or detachment working a gun, from French crue, from croître, to grow.
Drum: from Teutonic trom.
Fife: Old German pfifa, a pipe.
Logistics: French logistique; what are now called Staff duties, from logis, quarters, i.e. the Q.M.G.’s duties.
Order: French ordre; Latin ordin-em.
Parade: Spanish parada, ready, or adorned, from parar, to get ready, to adorn, also to parry; Latin parare, to prepare. Brought from the Netherlands to England in 1625.
Reconnoitre: French, to make oneself acquainted with—connaître; Latin cognoscere, know.
Strategy: Greek strategos, a general—stratos, army—ago, lead. The art of the General.
Tactics: Greek taktike (techne), tasso, arrange. The tactical art, or art of drawing up soldiers for battle.
Trumpet: French trompette, dim. of trompe; Spanish trompa, perhaps from Latin tuba.
War: Teutonic werre, strife, connected with worse, and German wirren, confuse.
APPENDIX B
REMARKS ON MILITARY NOMENCLATURE
In any Science the first step towards systematizing it is to form a definite terminology on systematic lines. Nor is this mere pedantry. Words are the expressions of thought; without defined terms there can be no clear thinking.
None can have read much, or written at all, on military matters without noticing the unsatisfactory nature of many of the terms used. Few are short, crisp, and definite, like Troop, Squad, Staff. Compare these with Regiment, Division, Artillery. Confusion also constantly arises from the indeterminate meanings of words like Commander, Section, Brigade, Unit.
Other words are cumbrous, like Medical Services (or Officer), Mounted Infantry, Ammunition Column, Lines of Communication, Mounted Brigade, Veterinary Services (or Officer). Some single words are urgently needed instead of these.
In British Establishments, simplification would result if there were one word for Drummers, Buglers, and Trumpeters, and one for all personnel except Officers. Dismounted men is a poor name for men who were never mounted.
The organization of Artillery cries out for some systematized terms. Field Artillery includes in foreign armies the batteries of Field Guns, Howitzers, and Horse Artillery, but is generally used for those of Field Guns only. A general word to include guns and howitzers is needed. Wagon is used for transport wagons and ammunition wagons, and a single word for the latter is much needed; the American word caisson, or the old English tumbril, might be used. A better word is wanted for Machine-Gun, which is not a gun, but a rifle. Divisional Artillery, a unit of several Brigades under a General, might have a special name. Divisional Ammunition Column seems a very long term when writing Orders.
Cavalry and Infantry might well be usually replaced by Horse and Foot. The words Troop and Squadron might be used without the addition of “Cavalry,” as indeed Company and Battalion without adding “Infantry.” It would be convenient if, in the British Service at any rate, the word Regiment always connoted Horse, to avoid adding “Cavalry,” just as Battalion connotes Foot.
Turning to ranks of Officers, the word General might be used instead of G.O.C. The term Commander is used indiscriminately, and might be confined to Subordinate Commanders of Corps and Divisions, leaving Commander-in-Chief for the Army Command, with Supreme Commander where there are several Armies. A single word for the Divisional Commander would be convenient, like Brigadier for the Brigade Commander. Commanding Officer should always imply the C.O. of a Cavalry Regiment, Infantry Battalion, or Artillery Brigade, and might be rendered, as in French, by the word Chief. The word Captain does not imply the important and similar functions of the Squadron, Company, and Battery Leader, who is often a Major; and the word Leader might be adopted. The good old words “Cornet” and “Ensign” might be reintroduced.
D.A.A.G. and D.A.Q.M.G. are deplorable titles, as are also Inspector-General of Communications and Commander of Lines of Communication Defences.
We have Gunner, Driver, and Sapper; why should not Trooper be officially used for private of Cavalry?
It would be convenient if the word Train were officially used for all the non-fighting Trains.
Now that the whole force of a great nation includes several Armies, it is desirable to have a separate word for the whole Army. Perhaps Host?
A short word (like Base) is much needed for the L. of C. and the Advanced Base. Perhaps Rear-Routes and Fore-Base might be used?
A better word for Advanced Guard would be Foreguard, on the analogy of Rear-Guard and Vanguard. The cumbrous expression “Commander of the Advanced Guard” might then be replaced by Foreguard Chief.
The awkward French word depôt (with its accent) might be replaced by the Old English word stow, which we find surviving in place-names, where it meant a military depôt during the English conquest of Britain.
The importance of shortening and defining military terms does not rest only on the convenience of writers and readers. The advantage in saving time, and conducing to lucidity, cannot be overestimated when Orders are to be written and read, often under difficulties and in a hurry.
A scientific system of Military Terminology would thus prove of real value in war. The above observations are made in order to call attention to this matter, in the hope that official action may one day lead to a more logical system of military terms.
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