syntagmatarchy

Meaning

Noun

• A square formation of 256 soldiers arranged into sixteen files, sixteen ranks deep, led by a syntagmatarch; a syntagma.

Origin

• First attested in 1670–1 and then once per century since; from the Latin syntagmatarchia, from the Ancient Greek συνταγματαρχία, from σύνταγμα, whence the English syntagma.