Landsknecht

The German Landsknechts, sometimes also rendered as Landsknechte (singular Landsknecht, pronounced [ˈlantsknɛçt]) were colourful mercenary soldiers with a formidable reputation who became an important military force through late 15th- and 16th-century Europe. Consisting predominantly of German mercenary pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, they achieved the reputation for being the universal mercenaries of early modern Europe.

Etymology

The Germanic compound Landsknecht (earlier Lantknecht, without fugen-s) combines land "land, country", here in the sense of "lowlands" and knecht "servant, vassal", here in the sense of "foot-soldier". The compound Lantknecht was used during the 15th century of bailiffs or court ushers. In its application to mercenaries, it is first recorded in the 1480s, perhaps coined by Peter von Hagenbach and intended to indicate soldiers of the lowlands of Swabia as opposed to the "highlander" Swiss mercenaries.

As early as 1500, the term was re-etymologized as Lanzknecht, suggesting a derivation from Lanze "lance; pike". The modern term Landser is possibly based on Landsknecht, as is the name of the French card game Lansquenet.