Celibate
A crony in today's sense is an accomplice , accomplice or henchman . According to the Duden, also a pejorative helper or jokingly a friend .
Concept history
In the 16th century the term “ comrade in arms fighting with a spear ” (see journeyman ) was used. This meant mostly recruited peasants without military training who were only allowed to wield simple weapons. As early as the 17th century, this term was used disparagingly for an accomplice in a bad cause '. The pejorative sense, the word probably got through the bad reputation, "the in earlier times mercenaries and soldiers enjoy." At the beginning of the 20th century was called by the term cronies "brothers in arms" who "but only for armed to bad purposes gangs used" has been.
See also
- Philistines
- Company sergeant ; colloquial "spit"
literature
- spieszgesell . In: Jacob Grimm , Wilhelm Grimm : German Dictionary . Hirzel, Leipzig 1854–1961 ( woerterbuchnetz.de , University of Trier). (Vol. 16, Col. 2462f.)
- Joseph Kehrein: Onomatic Dictionary . Ritter, Wiesbaden 1853, p. 857 ( online ).
Web links
Wiktionary: crony - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
