Word used often in the British Army

[Guest newworldmember]

Can someone please tell me the origin of the word "swaddy?" I know it refers to a British soldier in the late 19th century and possibly up to WWII or even later, but I'm not certain what it's specific meaning is. Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help me on this.

[iain mchenry]

Do you mean "Swaddy" or "Squaddie"?

Iain

[Terry_Reeves]

According to Partridge, Dictionary of English Slang, there are several possible roots for the word Swaddy.

1. Swadkin - 18th century, a newly raised soldier which by the 19th century had became swad which may have derived from a word meaning bumpkin or lout. By the late nineteenth century it referred mainly to the militia.

3. Swad-gill, Sad - low slang for a soldier to which the word Gill was added meaning fellow. This may have been a dialectical word.

The word squaddie is simply a 20th century corruption of those above.

Terry Reeves

[Stuart Brown]

Very similar to Terry's posting........

From "The Long Trail" What the British soldier sang and said in 1914-1918. by Brophy and Partridge.

SWADDY..A private soldier. In the 18th century the form was swad, swadkin or swad-gill. Originally dialect, not slang, meaning a 'a country lout' or 'an awkward fellow'. From this in the early 19th century was derived the slang, swaddy, used chiefly by sailors of soldiers, but by the B.E.F. freely in 1914-18.

[Dragon]

To take the etymology further, swadde [lout] first appeared in 1570, often used abusively. It's possibly Scandinavian in origin.

Gwyn