Etymology

spahi

S1P3A1H4I1

Today it means: An Ottoman (Turkish empire) cavalryman, especially as recruited under a land-based system. Full definition →

French spahi ← Ottoman Turkish سپاهی ← Classical Persian سِپَاهِی
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The story

  1. Classical Persian · derived fromسِپَاهِی“horseman, soldier”
  2. Ottoman Turkish · derived fromسپاهی
  3. French · borrowed fromspahi
  4. English todayspahi

From French spahi, from Ottoman Turkish سپاهی (sipahi), from Classical Persian سِپَاهِی (sipāhī, “horseman, soldier”) (> sepoy), from سِپَاه (sipāh, “army”). Doublet of sepoy and sipahi.

Words from the same roots

Ottoman Turkishسپاهی all →

sipahi

Classical Persianسِپَاهِی all →

sepoy

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.