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Glite Dictionary
peshmerga

peshmerga

4 9.9
A Kurdish soldier who fights for a Kurdish state
  • noun
  • /ˈpɛʃˌmɛrɡə/
  • Literature
: peshmerga
  • More accurately described as a "militia," Peshmerga forces were allied with American troops during the early stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom and currently play a security role in northern Iraq.
  • Kurdish peshmerga
  • Peshmerga forces

And there was a brief fight between the Kurdish Peshmerga and the Republic of Iraq, their troops.

Examples

  • The peshmerga suffer from many of the same problems as the Iraqi army: corruption, poor training, ghost soldiers, mistrust due to the partisan and ethnic nature of the force, and lack of equipment.

    Academic text (2015)

  • Samia watched neighbors, mainly young men, leave to join the peshmerga, the Kurdish fighters battling for autonomy.

  • Nor do the peshmerga have a good working relationship with the Iraqi army.

    Academic text (2015)

  • And there was a brief fight between the Kurdish Peshmerga and the Republic of Iraq, their troops.

    Julian Dorey

  • Following the collapse of the Iraqi army, many pundits were quick to point to the peshmerga as the most reliable fighting force in the region.

    Academic text (2015)

  • Peshmerga fighters are Kurdish armed forces that can be traced to the Kurdish independence movement in the early 1920s.

    Academic text (2005)

  • In April 2003, coalition forces and the Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga liberated Kirkuk from Baathist control.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Kurdish peshmerga forces sit on top of a tank on the outskirts of Kirkuk.

  • In April 2003, coalition forces and the Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga liberated Kirkuk from Baathist control.

Synonyms

Pesh Merga
vspeshmerga
1 8.9

A Kurdish armed fighter who defends towns in northern Iraq

is a fighter who seeks an independent state rather than general security

Surface Forms

peshmerga singular
peshmergas plural

Etymology

Peshmerga comes from Kurdish parts pêş and merg, where pêş means 'front' or 'before' and merg means 'death'. So peshmerga literally means 'those who face death' and is used today for Kurdish fighters who stand on the front lines, often fighting for a Kurdish state.