Schützen (military)

Schützen (en:shooters but usually translated as "marksmen") is a German plural noun used to designate a type of military unit of infantrymen, originally armed with a rifled musket and used in a light-infantry or skirmishing role – and hence similar to the Jäger. The individual infantrymen are termed Schütze. Prior to the introduction of firearms the word was used for 'archer', and is sometimes used in the form Bogenschütze (bowman – lit. 'bow shooter').

The verb schützen (to protect) is not related to the plural noun Schützen, but to "Schutz" (protection).

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