thousander (similar to centurion)

English translation: thousandman

22:34 Aug 2, 2003
Latin to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Military / Defense / Military
Latin term or phrase: thousander (similar to centurion)
Is there a word for a person in the military who commands a thousand men? Eventually I need in English.
Valters Feists
Latvia
Local time: 04:10
English translation:thousandman
Explanation:
In Anglo-Saxon law, a "hundredman" oversaw a hundred families, i.e. a hundred men with their families. An Eoldorman oversaw a thousand families known as Shire. Since Eoldorman obviously doesn´t do in this case, let´s use a "thousandman," which would be analogous to a "hundredman". But modest-sounding? Hmm...
Selected response from:

Jonathan Widell
Canada
Local time: 22:10
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2Primus Pilus
leff
4 +1chiliarch/tribune of the soldiers
Joseph Brazauskas
3General
lenapires
3thousandman
Jonathan Widell
1thousand-leader
danya


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
General


Explanation:
+

lenapires
Portugal
Native speaker of: Portuguese
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Primus Pilus


Explanation:
It was no such military unit as 1000 men, then it was no need to name for commander of this kind of unit. The best approximation of 1000 soldiers was 1st cohort of legion, which was double strenght than ordinary cohort, and have had 960 men (century had 80 men). Its commander was named Primus Pilus. More about legion structure and commaners you can find here:


    Reference: http://www.geocities.com/legioxf/Legstruc.htm
leff
Local time: 03:10
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Pierre POUSSIN
6 hrs

agree  Joseph Brazauskas: I agree, but this holds true for only certain periods of Roman military history. Recall that Roman military institutions evolved over 12 centuries or more. But this is true for the classical period, only the better orthography has primipilus (one word).
7 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
thousandman


Explanation:
In Anglo-Saxon law, a "hundredman" oversaw a hundred families, i.e. a hundred men with their families. An Eoldorman oversaw a thousand families known as Shire. Since Eoldorman obviously doesn´t do in this case, let´s use a "thousandman," which would be analogous to a "hundredman". But modest-sounding? Hmm...


    Reference: http://www.hisholychurch.net/study/trusts/trustsch2.html
Jonathan Widell
Canada
Local time: 22:10
Native speaker of: Native in FinnishFinnish
PRO pts in category: 4
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
chiliarch/tribune of the soldiers


Explanation:
Aeschylus uses it (i.e, 'chiliarchos', lit. 'leader of a thousand')in his tragedy 'Persae' (v. 304) to denote a captain of a thousand men.

I have seen the Anglicised form 'chiliarch' in several English translations of Greek classical historians.

This is a purely classical Greek usage of the term, however, and in texts composed during the Roman Empire, it is more usually a translation of the Latin 'tribunus militum', or 'tribune of the soldiers', a class of military official who had under his command an indefinate number of men, depending on the exact period in Imperial hisotry in which he lived and served.

But any KudoZ should go to the asker, in my opinion. I don't think that there's a native English word which conveys the idea adequately. 'General' is much too high a rank for this title, and the other suggestions sound to me (with all due respect) too unnatural in English.

Thus I feel that it is one of those words which ought to be transliterated rather than actually translated, with perhaps a footnote to explain his function.







Joseph Brazauskas
United States
Local time: 22:10
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  moken: I ran two searches: "commander of 1000 men" + "commander of a thousand men". by far the most recurrent was chiliarch, although other terms which i am unable to endorse came up such; Tysyatskii (claimed to be Russian) Aluph (claimed to be Hebrew).hth. :O)
9 hrs
  -> Thanks.
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1 day 11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
thousand-leader


Explanation:
thousand here being a noun, of course

and the pair Lat-Engl is not the best one for your purpose, if you don't like chiliarch, why not try the Eng-Eng?

danya
Local time: 05:10
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
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