partisan

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See also: Partisan

English

WOTD – 4 March 2009

Alternative forms

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈpɑː.tɪˌzæn/, /ˌpɑː.tɪˈzæn/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈpɑɹ.ɾɪ.sən/, /ˈpɑɹ.ɾə.sən/, /-zən/
  • (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈpaː.tɪ.zæn/, /ˈpaː.tɪ.sæn/, /-sən/, /-zən/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio (AU)(file)

Etymology 1

From French partisan, from Italian partigiano (“defender of a party”), from parte (“part”). Doublet of partigiano. Attested in English from the late 15th century in the noun sense of "party adherent", and in related adjective senses from the 16th century. The "guerilla fighter" sense influenced by Serbo-Croatian partizan, Russian партиза́н (partizán), from the same source. The sense of "guerilla fighter" is from c. 1690. The adjective in the military sense dates from the early 18th century.(Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)

Noun

partisan (plural partisans)

  1. An adherent to a party or faction.
    Synonym: partyman
    • 1992, Thomas R. Pegram, Partisans and Progressives: Private Interest and Public Policy in Illinois‎:
      "Strong partisans of neither party, Indiana farmers failed to act as a block […] "
  2. A fervent, sometimes militant, supporter or proponent of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea.
  3. A member of a band of detached light, irregular troops acting behind occupying enemy lines in the ways of harassment or sabotage; a guerrilla fighter.
  4. (now rare) The commander of a body of detached light troops engaged in making forays and harassing an enemy.
Related terms
Translations
member of a body of detached light troops — see guerrilla

Adjective

partisan (comparative more partisan, superlative most partisan)

  1. Serving as commander or member of a body of detached light troops.
    partisan officer, partisan corps
  2. Adherent to a party or faction; especially, having the character of blind, passionate, or unreasonable adherence to a party.
    They were blinded by partisan zeal.
    • 2020 June 3, Lilian Greenwood talks to Paul Stephen, “Rail's 'underlying challenges' remain”, in Rail, page 33:
      Having put partisan interests to one side, Greenwood set about making teamwork a watchword for her chairmanship, while seeking the broadest possible participation in subsequent inquiries.
  3. Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause.
    partisan politics
    • 2012 June 19, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport‎:
      England will regard it as a measure of justice for Frank Lampard's disallowed goal against Germany in Bloemfontein at the 2010 World Cup - but it was also an illustration of how they rode their luck for long periods in front of a predictably partisan home crowd.
    • 2013, The Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy:
      He finds, not “demigods” but “a combative group of exhausted, drunken, broken, petty, partisan, scheming, squabbling, bloviating, sensory-deprived, underoxygenated, fed-up, talked-out, overheated delegates so distraught they threatened violence, secession.
Derived terms
Translations
serving as a commander or member of a body of detached light troops

Etymology 2

From French partizaine, from Middle French partizaine, partisanne etc., from Italian partigiana, related to Etymology 1 above (apparently because it was seen as a typical weapon of such forces).

Noun

partisan (plural partisans)

  1. (historical) A long-handled spear with a triangular, double-edged blade having lateral projections, in some forms also used in boar hunting.
  2. (obsolete) A soldier armed with such a weapon.
Translations
See also

References

  1. ^ “partisan, n.2 and adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2005.
  2. ^ “partisan, n.1”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2005.

Further reading

Anagrams

French

Etymology

From Italian partigiano.

Pronunciation

Noun

partisan m (plural partisans, feminine partisane)

  1. supporter, proponent, advocate
  2. (sports) fan

Adjective

partisan (feminine partisane, masculine plural partisans, feminine plural partisanes)

  1. partisan, partial
  2. in favour of

Descendants

Further reading

Anagrams

Norman

Etymology

Borrowed from French partisan.

Noun

partisan m (plural partisans)

  1. (Jersey) supporter

Norwegian Bokmål

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia no

Etymology

From Italian partigiano, via French partisan.

Noun

partisan m (definite singular partisanen, indefinite plural partisaner, definite plural partisanene)

  1. a partisan (member of an armed group)

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nn

From Italian partigiano, via French partisan.

Noun

partisan m (definite singular partisanen, indefinite plural partisanar, definite plural partisanane)

  1. a partisan (member of an armed group)

References

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia