pandour

[ pan-door ]

noun

1. History/Historical. a member of a local militia in Croatia, formed as a regiment in the Austrian army in the 18th century and noted for its ruthlessness and cruelty.
2. a brutal, marauding soldier.

pandour

/ ˈpændʊə /

noun

1. one of an 18th-century force of Croatian soldiers in the Austrian service, notorious for their brutality

Word History and Origins

Origin of pandour¹

1740–50; < French pandour ( e ) ≪ Serbo-Croatian pàndūr community or city policeman, pandour, probably < Hungarian pandúr < Slavic *pǫdarĭ (> Serbo-Croatian pùdār one who guards a vineyard), derivative of *pǫditi to drive off, frighten; the Serbo-Croatian variant bàndūr (17th century) may result from crossing with Medieval Latin banderia or Italian bandiera troop, literally, banner

Word History and Origins

Origin of pandour¹

C18: via French from Hungarian pandur, from Croat: guard, probably from Medieval Latin banderius summoner, from bannum ban ¹

Example Sentences

Except with his Pandour people, working what mischief they can, Neipperg does nothing.

From Project Gutenberg

Diligently scanning the Pandour stragglings and sputterings round him, which are clearly on the increasing hand.

From Project Gutenberg

The points of inrush, the tideways of these Pandour Deluges seem to be mainly three.

From Project Gutenberg

A scaffold was standing in the court, with two dead bodies in the Pandour uniform lying upon it.

From Project Gutenberg

Bancaleone had left the room; but an attendant opened the door, saying that a Pandour had brought a despatch for his Majesty.

From Project Gutenberg