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jan·is·sar·y

(jănĭ-sĕr′ē) also jan·i·zar·y (-zĕr′ē)

n. pl. jan·is·sar·ies

1. A soldier of the Ottoman Empire in an elite guard organized in the 1300s and abolished in 1826.

2. A member of a group of elite, highly loyal supporters.

[Middle French jehanicere, janissaire, from Old Italian giannizero, from Ottoman Turkish yeñiçeri, new army, Janissary corps : yañı, new (from Old Turkic yaŋı) + çeri, special troops (from Old Turkic çērig, phalanx, order of battle).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

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Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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