hajduk

Forms of hajduk

Origin of hajduk

Borrowed from Hungarian hajdúk, plural of hajdú (“foot-soldier”). The Hungarian word may derive from hajtó which meant “(cattle) drover”. In 16th century Hungary, cattle driving was an important and dangerous occupation and drovers traveled armed. Some of them ended up as bandits or retainers in the service of local landowners and many may have become soldiers. In any case, the term hajdúk came to be used in the 16th century to describe irregular soldiers. There is probably an etymological link between hajdú and the Turkish word haydut, which was used by the Ottomans to describe Hungarian infantry soldiers and has the sense 'outlaw, robber' in modern Turkish usage, though it is not clear whether the word travelled from Hungarian to Turkish or vice versa.

Borrowed from Polish Hajduk.

Questions about hajduk

What does hajduk mean?

Hajduk means an outlaw, highwayman, or freedom fighter in the Balkans.

What part of speech is hajduk?

Hajduk can be a noun or a proper noun.

What is the plural of hajduk?

The plural of hajduk is hajduks.