spahi

English

Etymology

From French spahi, from Ottoman Turkish سپاهی (sipahi), from Persian سپاهی (sepâhi, “horseman, soldier”) (> sepoy), from سپاه (sepâh, “army”). Doublet of sepoy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈspɑːhiː/

Noun

spahi (plural spahis)

1. (history) An Ottoman (Turkish empire) cavalryman, especially as recruited under a land-based system.
   • 2001, Orhan Pamuk, My Name Is Red, tr. Erdağ M Göknar

     I hear that the great Sadiki Bey illustrated a copy of Strange Creatures, commissioned by an Uzbek spahi cavalryman, for only forty gold pieces.

2. (history) A soldier in a mainly Arab-recruited cavalry (originally horse, later light armored) regiment in French colonial service in (former/ in name still) Ottoman North African provinces

Related terms

• sepoy
• sipahi

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked‌: "Ottoman cavalryman"

• Dutch: spahi m
• French: spahi (fr) m
• Macedonian: спахија m (spahija)

Anagrams

• Saiph, aphis, apish, aship, pahis

Dutch

Etymology

From French spahi, from Ottoman Turkish سپاهی (sipahi), from Persian سپاهی (sepâhi, “horseman, soldier”) (> English sepoy), from سپاه (sepâh, “army”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: spa‧hi

Noun

spahi m (plural spahi's, diminutive spahietje n)

1. A spahi

Related terms

• sepoy m

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Turkish sipahi, from Persian سپاهی (sepâhi, “horseman, soldier”), from سپاه (sepâh, “army”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spa.i/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

spahi m (plural spahis)

1. spahi

Related terms

• cipaye m

Descendants

• → Dutch: spahi
• → English: spahi
• → Russian: спаги́ (spagí), спаг (spag)

Further reading

• “spahi”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.