GLOSSARY
CAPTAIN: Noun Etymology:
Middle English capitane, from Anglo-French capitain, from Late Latin
capitaneus, adjective & Noun, chief, from Latin capit-, caput head
--- more at head Date: 14th century
(1): a military leader : the commander of a unit or a body of troops
(2): a subordinate officer commanding under a sovereign or general (3):
a commissioned officer in the army, air force, ranking above a first
lieutenant and below a major (Merriam-Webster).
CORNET: Noun Etymology: Middle French cornette woman's headdress with a lappet, pennon, standard, from diminutive of corn. Date: 1579 The onetime lowest commissioned rank in the United States cavalry (Merriam-Webster).
CORPORAL: Noun Etymology:
Middle French, lowest noncommissioned officer, alteration of caporal,
from Old Italian caporale, from capo head, from Latin caput --- more at
head Date: 1579 A noncommissioned officer ranking in the army above a private first class and below a sergeant (Merriam-Webster).
DRUMMER: Noun Date: 1580 One
that plays a drum (Merriam-Webster). Before motorized transport became
widespread, drummers played a key role in military conflicts. The drum
cadences provided set a steady marching pace, better than often
accompanying wind instruments such as flutes (signal instruments such
as bugles have another primary ), and kept up the troops' morale on the
battlefield. Military drummers were also employed on the parade field,
when troops passed in review, and in various ceremonies including
ominous drum rolls accompanying disciplinary punishments. In some cases
drummers had the duty of administering those punishments (Wikapedia.)
ENSIGN: Noun Etymology: Middle English ensigne, sign, token, banner, from Anglo-French enseigne, from Latin insignia insignia, flags Date: 15th century An infantry officer of what was formerly the lowest commissioned rank (Merriam-Webster).
LIEUTENANT: Noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French lieu tenant, from liu + tenant holding, from tenir to hold, from Latin tenre --- more at thin Date: 14th century A
commissioned officer in the navy or coast guard ranking above a
lieutenant junior grade and below a lieutenant commander
(Merriam-Webster).
MILITIA: Noun Etymology: Latin, military service, from milit-, miles A
part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in
emergency (Merriam-Webster). The Virginia militia is composed of the
body of the people in the Commonwealth of Virginia which is an armed
force of all citizens capable of bearing arms. The Virginia militia was
established in 1607 as part of the British militia system (Wikapedia).
MUSTER ROLL: Noun Date: 1605 Inventory, roster; specifically : a register of the officers and men in a military unit or ship's company (Merriam-Webster).
PAY ROLL: Noun Date: 1740 A paymaster's list of those entitled to pay and of the amounts due to each (Merriam-Webster).
PRIVATE: Noun Date: 15th century An enlisted man of the lowest rank in the marine corps or of one of the two lowest ranks in the army (Merriam-Webster).
REGIMENT: Noun Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin regimentum, alteration of Latin regimen Date: 14th century A military unit consisting usually of a number of battalions (Merriam-Webster).
SERGEANT: Noun Etymology:
Middle English, servant, attendant, sergeant, from Anglo-French
sergant, serjant, from Latin servient-, serviens, present participle of
servire to serve Date: 13th century A noncommissioned officer ranking in the army (Merriam-Webster).