serdyuk

English

Alternative forms

• Serdiuk, serdiuk

Etymology

Borrowed from Ukrainian сердю́к (serdjúk), in turn originated from Ottoman Turkish سورتوك (“streetwalker, dirty vagrant”). Compare Turkish sürtük.

Noun

serdyuk (plural serdyuks)

1. (historical) a Cossack soldier who serves as a mercenary for the hetman under the Zaporizhian Army.