From OldFrench 'armée' (the armed ones), from Latin 'arma' (weapons) and PIE *h₂er- (to fit together) — a group 'fitted out' for war.
Definition
An organized military force equipped for fighting on land; a large number of people or things.
The Full Story
Latin14th centurywell-attested
From Old French 'armée' (armed force, assembly of troops), past participle of 'armer' (to arm), from Latin 'armāre' (to furnish with weapons), derived from 'arma' (weapons, tools of war). Latin 'arma' traces to PIE *h₂er- (to fit together, to join), reflecting the original concept of fitted or assembled equipment rather than weapons per se. This samerootproduced
for the here). The shift from 'equipment' to 'equipped body of people' to 'military organisation' mirrors how warfare itself became more institutionalised. Key roots: *h₂er- (Proto-Indo-European: "to fit together").