A soldier or warrior, particularly one from North Africa or the Middle East; a military servant in colonial contexts.
From Arabic askari (سكري), meaning soldier or warrior. The word entered European languages through colonial contact and was widely used in British military contexts in Africa and the Middle East.
During European colonialism, 'askari' and 'askar' referred to local soldiers fighting under European command—the word itself represents a whole forgotten history of how colonial powers depended on indigenous troops who rarely appear in history books!
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