A soldier or irregular warrior in North African or Middle Eastern service, particularly a member of French colonial military forces or indigenous auxiliary troops.
From French 'goumier,' derived from Arabic 'goum' (a group or band), referring to mobile cavalry or irregular military units in the region.
Goumiers were the original 'special forces'—highly mobile cavalry units used in colonial campaigns who knew the terrain intimately and could strike without warning, making them feared far beyond their numbers.
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