Fatigues

[Dieter Britz]

The word "fatigue" is easy, a French derivative. But
"fatigues", as in "army .."? How did that come about?

--
Dieter Britz

[Peter Duncanson]

On Mon, 26 Nov 2012 09:17:58 +0000 (UTC), Dieter Britz
<dieterh...@gmail.com> wrote:

>The word "fatigue" is easy, a French derivative. But
>"fatigues", as in "army .."? How did that come about?

"fatigues" is short for "fatigue-dress" the clothing worn when
performing "fatigues".

From the OED:
fatigue, n.

(General sense)

2. That which causes weariness; a fatiguing duty or performance,
labour, toil.

(Military senses)

3.
a. The extra-professional duties of a soldier, sometimes allotted to
him as punishment for misdemeanour; an instance of this.

1844 Regul. & Ord. Army 275 The levelling of ground in the
vicinity of the Camp or Barracks, and making communications
between different parts of them, are duties of fatigue.
1881 Through the Ranks to a Commission 57 For the two weeks that
I was a private I took my turn at the daily fatigues.

b. Short for fatigue-party n., and in pl. for fatigue-dress.

1836 J. Hildreth Dragoon Campaigns Rocky Mts. i. vii. 51 We have
not yet received our uniforms..but even in our ‘fatigues’, we make
an imposing appearance when mounted.
1876 G. E. Voyle Mil. Dict. 135/2 Fatigue..a party of soldiers
told off for any other duty than a dress parade necessitates.

In that last quotation "told off" has the following meaning:

tell off: to count off from the whole number or company; to
separate, detach, esp. so many men for a particular duty; hence
gen. to appoint to a particular task, object, position, or the
like.

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in uk.culture.language.english)