Marshal

Marshal (also spelled marshall) is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated offices, such as in military rank and civilian law enforcement.

Etymology

"Marshal" is an ancient loanword from Old (Norman) French (cf. modern French maréchal), which in turn is borrowed from Old Frankish *marhskalk (="stable boy, keeper, servant"), being still evident in Middle Dutch maerscalc, marscal, and in modern Dutch maarschalk (="military chief commander"; the meaning influenced by the French use).

It is cognate with Old High German mar(ah)-scalc "id.", modern German (Feld-)Marschall (="military chief commander"; again, the meaning influenced by the French use).

It originally and literally meant "horse servant", from Germanic *marha- "horse" (cf. English mare and modern German Mähre, meaning "horse of bad quality") and skalk- "servant" (cf. Old Engl. scealc "servant, soldier" and outdated German Schalk, meaning "high-ranking servant"). This "horse servant" origin is retained in the current French name for farrier: maréchal-ferrant.

Marshal (university)

A Marshal in a Sri Lankan University is an official tasked with maintaining security and discipline within the university. The role played by Marshals is similar to that of campus police, however they are not law enforcement officials. The appointment of a Marshal is done by the University Act.

History

The units of Marshals were formed in the campuses of the University of Ceylon and thereafter continued in the University of Sri Lanka. They were units responsible for maintaining student discipline on instructions of the vice-chancellor and the senior faculty and providing security for university students and property. They did not carry firearms and law enforcement within the university was provided by the police.

After the University of Ceylon was dissolved, its former campuses became independent universities and maintained the Marshals units. These were dropped in the 1980s and replaced by private security guards who did not have the authority to maintain student discipline. Subsequently, clashes between student groups and ragging resulting in student deaths were blamed on the lack of disciplinary or actual control applied by the security guards. In recent years units of Marshals were re-instituted in several universities.

List of Marvel Comics characters: M

M

M-11 (Human Robot)

M-11 is a robot. Originally known as the Human Robot, the character was given the name "M-11" in the 2006 to 2007 Agents of Atlas miniseries as an allusion to its first appearance in Menace #11 (May 1954) from Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics. The character's five-page origin story, "I, the Robot", appeared in the science fiction/horror/crime anthology title Menace #11 (May 1954) from Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics. In an alternate reality from mainstream Earth, a scientist's newly created robot is programmed by the scientist's greedy business manager to murder the scientist. The incomplete robot, however, continues through with his directive to "kill the man in the room", and kills the business manager when the man enters. The robot then leaves the house, programmed to "kill the man in the room".

M-Twins (M, Penance ll)

The M-Twins (Nicole and Claudette St. Croix) are superheroine mutants who appear in the X-Men family of books. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo, she/they (as M) originally was a member of the teenage mutant group Generation X, and have not appeared in the series since Generation X #58. Nicole and Claudette have various telepathic abilities, including reading minds, projecting their thoughts into the minds of others, and defensively masking their minds against telepathic intrusion. They have also used telepathy offensively to limited degrees, such as mind control and memory wipes. The twins (and all their siblings) are somehow able to merge into various combinations with each other, each resulting fusion generally having a distinct personality and unique set of powers. However, the fusions can be undone by considerable trauma, typically a large explosion.