serjant

Middle English

Noun

serjant

Alternative form of serjaunt

Old French

Alternative forms

sargant, sargeant, sargiant, sergant, sergaunt, sergeant, sergeaunt, sergent, serjaunt, serjeant, serjeaunt, serjont, siergeant

Etymology

From Latin servientem (literally “serving, one who serves”), present participle of servīre (“to serve”).

Pronunciation

(archaic) IPA^(key): /sɛrˈdʒent/, /sarˈdʒent/
(classical) IPA^(key): /sɛrˈdʒant/, /sarˈdʒant/, (Norman) /sɛrˈdʒawnt/
(late) IPA^(key): /sɛrˈʒant/, /sarˈʒant/, (Norman) /sɛrˈʒawnt/

Noun

serjant m (oblique plural serjanz or serjantz, nominative singular serjanz or serjantz, nominative plural serjant)

a military rank, roughly equivalent to sergeant
- circa 1170, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec et Énide:
  Tot maintenant la dameisele
  Un suen serjant privé apele.
  Right away, the lady
  
  Calls her own sergeant

Descendants

French: sergeant
Middle English: serjaunt
- English: sergeant
  - → Manx: sarjant
- Scots: sairjint

References

sergant on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

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