spahi

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.

• IPA^(key): /ˈspɑːhiː/

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.
   • 1913 June–December, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Dancing Girl of Sidi Aissa”, in The Return of Tarzan, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, […], published March 1915, →OCLC, page 86:

     TARZAN’S first mission did not bid fair to be either exciting or vastly important. There was a certain lieutenant of spahis whom the government had reason to suspect of improper relations with a great European power.

• sepoy
• sipahi

• Paish, pihas, pahis, Saiph, apish, aship, aphis

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

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: spa‧hi

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

1. a spahi

• sepoy m

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

• IPA^(key): /spa.i/

• Audio:

  (file)

spahi m (plural spahis)

1. spahi

• cipaye m

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

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