Online Encyclopedia
Make a correction
Your email address will not appear on the site. Note, comments may take some time to be approved.
Back to article:
CADET (through the Fr. from the Late Lat. capitettum, a diminutive of caput, head, through the Provencal form capdet)
Your email:
Article name:
Article content:
CADET (through the Fr. from the Late Lat. capitettum, a diminutive of caput, head, through the Provencal form capdet), the head of an inferior branch of a family, a younger son; particularly a military term for an accepted candidate for a commission in the army or navy, who is undergoing training to become an officer. This latter use of the term arose in France, where it was applied to the younger sons of the noblesse who gained commissioned rank, not by serving in the ranks or by entering the ecoles militaires, but by becoming atta ched to corpswithout pay but with certain privileges. " Cadet Corps," in the British service, are bodies of boys or youths organized, armed and trained on volunteer military lines. Derived from " cadet," through the Scots form " cadee," comes " caddie," a messenger-boy, and particularly one who carries clubs at golf, and also the slang word " cad," a vulgar, ill-bred person.