Wordwyrt

assailant

/əˈseɪlənt/uh-SAY-luhnt
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked
/əˈseɪlənt/uh-SAY-luhnt

Meaningone who assails

Common meaning: an attacker

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Journey through time

  1. Latinsalire‘leap’source
  2. Old Frenchassaillir‘asaillir, asalir, to attack’source
  3. Middle Englishassailen‘attack’source
  4. Englishassail‘attack forcefully’
  5. Englishformed in English from assailassailant‘an attacker’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from assail + -ant.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), ASSAIL, p.37 · scan

Source words

  • salire Latin · source word “leap”

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