Small Polish-English dictionary of XVII century warfare

[Kadrinazi]

Small Polish-English dictionary of XVII century warfare

by Michal ‘Kadrinazi’ Paradowski

Comments:

(S) – singular form,

(P) – plural form,

(F) – form used as description of type of formation, example:

dragon – dragoon (S)

dragoni - dragoons (P)

dragonia – dragoons (F)

[-]- English version unknown

In this version I avoid using Polish letters (ą,ć,ż,ó,etc) because with them text will be much more difficult to read for non-Polish speakers. If any Readers will be interested I can re-write it with Polish letters. If You notice any mistake/unclear cases, please do not hesitate to contact me about it.

- amunicja – ammunition

- arkabuzer/arkebuzer – harquebusier (S)

- arkabuzeria/arkebuzeria - harquebusiers (F)

- arkabuzerzy/arkebuzerzy - harquebusiers (P)

- arkebuz – harquebus/arkebus

- autorament – section of Polish/Lithuanian army to show difference between:

‘narodowy autorament’ – ‘national autorament’ (Polish/Lithuanian cavalry and infantry)

‘cudzoziemski autorament’- ‘foreign autorament’ (Western style troops – infantry, dragoons, reiters)

- bandolet – used by cavalry – arkebus, light musket, dragon

- berdysz – berdish-axe

- bitwa – battle

- bulawa - mace – symbol of Hetman’s rank

- buzdygan – mace – symbol of high officers rank

- brygada – bridage

- choragiew (see also rota)– banner:

1. unit’s standard

2. basic unit of organization of P-L cavalry and infantry (except ‘foreign’ troops), usually between 50 and 200 horses (cavalry) and 100-300 portions (infantry)

- chorazy – standard bearer

- czeladz – servants and camp followers

- dezercja – desertion

- dezerter – deserter

- dragon – dragoon (S)

- dragoni - dragoons (P)

- dragonia – dragoons (F)

- dywizja – division

- dziala/armaty – cannons (F)

- dzialo/armata – cannon (S)

- forteca – fortress

- garnizon – garrison

- gwardia – guard (means Royal)

- haiduk – haiduk (S) – Hungarian infantry

- hajducy – haiduks (P)

- halabarda – halberd

- helm – helmet

- hetman – [-] highest commander of troops in Poland and Lithuania, there were two ranks:

- Hetman Wielki – Grand Hetman

- Hetman Polny – Field Hetman

so there was separate pair for Poland and separate pair for Lithuania

- husaria - winged hussars (F) but I prefer to use Husaria anyway 

- husarz – winged hussar (S)

- husarze – winged hussars (P)

- jazda kozacka – cossack style cavalry (F) (Polish type) in first half of XVII century fighting as a light and medium cavalry – with bows, carbines, pistols, spears

- jazda tatarska – Tatar’s cavalry

- jazda woloska – Wallachian cavalry

- jazda/kawaleria – cavalry

- kalkan – [-] Eastern type round shield

- kampania – campaign

- kapitan – captain – only in Foreign troops

- kapitulacja – surrender

- kolczuga – chainmail

- kompania – company

- koncerz- estoc/panzerstecher – additional weapon (long sword) used mainly by Husaria

- kornet – company (Foreign troops – cavalry and dragoons)

- komunik- [-] style of all-mounted army (for example Tatars, sometimes Poles or Lithuanians) marching fast without tabors and infantry

- kon – horse (S)

- konie – horses (P)

- kopia – lance (used as name for Husaria’s weapon)

- korpus – corps

- Kozacy (Zaporoscy, Dońcy) – Cossack (Zaporozhian, Don) – in Polish we make difference between them and Polish cavalry by writing ‘free men of Ukraine’ with capital letter

- kusza – crossbow

- Litwa - Lithuania

- luk- bow

- muszkiet – musket

- niemiecka/cudzoziemska piechota – German/Foreign infantry

- oberszter – literally ‘colonel’ – commander of Foreign regiment (infantry, dragoons, reiters)

- obersztlejtnant – lieutenant colonel – second in command of Foreign regiment (infantry, dragoons, reiters), often he lead unit in battle when oberszter was only nominal

- oblezenie - siege

- Pancerni – [-] medium Polish cavalry, name started to be used for cossack style cavalry since 1648 to make difference between them and Cossack’s rebels

- palasz – pallash – additional hand weapon, popular amongst cavalry (especially Husaria)

- petyhorcy – [-] Lithuanian medium cavalry, used at the end of XVI century, beginning of XVII century, come back to Lithuanian forces after 1672

- piechota – infantry

- pika – pike

- pistolet – pistol (S)

- pistolety – pistols (P)

- poczet – retinue – basic subunit of cavalry banner, composed of one Companion and between one and five Retainers

- pocztowi – retainers (P)

- pocztowy – retainer (S)

- Polska (Korona) – Poland (Crown)

- polska piechota – Polish infantry

- porucznik – lieutenant – second officer in cavalry banner, often real commander when ‘rotmistrz’ was only nominal

- pospolite ruszenie – levy, in Poland and Lithuanian we used almost exclusively Noble Levy

- potyczka – skirmish (small size fight )

- pulk – literally ‘regiment’ but should be used as Polish version ‘pulk’ - ad hoc formation, composed from between 3 and 20+ ‘banners’. Main Polish tactical subunit that can fight as a independent force

- pulkownik – literally ‘colonel’ - commander of cavalry ‘pulk’

- rajtar – reiter (S)

- rajtaria - reiters (F)

- rajtarzy - reiters (P)

- regiment – regiment  only to describe ‘foreign’ troops (Reiters, Dragoons, Infantry)

- regimentarz – deputy hetman, commander of army when Hetman was not present

- rekrut – conscript

- rohatyna – [-] approx 2.5 m long spear used by Petyhorcy

- rota – in XVI and first half of XVII century basic unit of organization of P-L cavalry and infantry (except ‘foreign’ troops), usually between 50 and 200 horses (cavalry) and 100-300 portions (infantry)

- rotmistrz – commander – of cavalry and Hungarian/Polish/Lithuanian infantry banner, quite often only nominal and didn’t lead unit in battle

- rusznica – caliver

- Rzeczypospolita Obojga Narodow – Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

- sejm – parliament

- sejmik – district parliament

- siodlo – saddle

- skrzydla – wings (P)

- skrzydlo – wing (S)

- straty – losses

- szabla – sabre

- szarza – charge (of cavalry)

- szwadron - squadron

- tabor – tabor

- tarcza – shield

- towarzysz – companion (S), noble that make basic force of cavalry (usually 1/3 of banner force – see ‘poczet’)

- towarzysze – companions (P)

- wegierska piechota – Hungarian infantry

- weteran – veteran

- wlocznia – spear

- woz taborowy – tabor wagon

- wojna – war

- wojewodztwo – district/palatinate, large territorial district of Poland and Lithuania

- wojewoda – voivode – governor of ‘wojewodztwo’

- wybraniecka piechota- literally ‘chosen’ but looking for quality it should be rather ‘drafted’ - peasants infantry, usually used as a pioneers, they lack training and good command

- zasadzka - ambush

- zamek – castle

- zbroja/pancerz – armour

- zold – soldier’s pay