The Collaborative International Dictionary
Yager \Ya"ger\ (?; 277), n. [G. j["a]ger a hunter, from jagen to chase, hunt.] (Mil.) In the German army, one belonging to a body of light infantry armed with rifles, resembling the chasseur of the French army. [Written also jager.]
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"German sharpshooter," 1776, from German jäger, literally "huntsman," from jagen "to hunt," from Old High German jagon, related to Old Frisian jagia, Dutch jagen "to hunt," Old Norse jaga "to drive, to move to and fro" (see yacht). Applied to riflemen and sharpshooters in the German and Austrian armies. Englished as yager, yaeger from 1804.
Wiktionary
n. (alternative form of jaeger English)
Wikipedia
Jäger (singular [der] Jäger, plural [die] Jäger, ) is a German military term adopted in 1631 by the landgrave of Hesse when he first formed an elite infantry unit out of his professional hunters (Jäger) and rangers ( Forstleute) in the Hessian Army.
During the Age of Enlightenment in German-speaking states (and others influenced by them) Jäger was used to describe elite light infantry, especially skirmishers, scouts, sharpshooters and couriers. Jäger, which means " hunter" or "huntsman" in German, came by extension to denote light infantrymen whose forester background made them suitable for skirmishing as individuals rather than as a drilled and regimented body of soldiers. Often they came from families with a tradition of service to one feudal lord. Initially Jägers made use of their own precision-made rifles: a more accurate weapon with a longer range than the muskets used by line troops.
While the term Jäger continues, in some modern instances, to carry its original and literal connotations, the usage had broadened over time. For instance, Feldjäger was the name given by the Prussian Army, basically for scouts and couriers. In the Bundeswehr, Feldjäger is the name of German military police. During the 20th century Jagdflugzeug (short form: Jäger) became the German word for fighter aircraft, while Panzerjäger was the name adopted for tank destroyers.
Jäger, in its original sense of light infantry, is usually translated into English as:
- " rifleman" (in an infantry role) or "Rifles" (in regimental names) and;
- " ranger" (especially in North American English; see below).
In English Jäger is often written as jaeger (both pl. and sgl.) or anglicised as jager (pl. jagers) to avoid the umlaut.
Jager is a Dutch occupational surname meaning "Kev smith". People with this surname include:
- Durk Jager (born 1943), Dutch businessman in the United States
- Eric Jager (born 1957), American medievalist and literary critic
- Evan Jager (born 1989), American long distance runner
- Finne Jager (born 1984), Dutch trance music DJ and producer
- Henry Jager (born 1879), New York assemblyman 1921
- Maja Jager (born 1991), Danish archer
- Marike Jager (born 1979), Dutch singer-songwriter, guitarist and television presenter
- Matt Jager (born 1988), Australian golfer
- Robert E. Jager (born 1939), American composer, music theorist and a conductor
- Tom Jager (born 1964), American freestyle swimmer, five-time Olympic champion
Jäger, Jager, or Jaeger may refer to:
- Jäger (surname), shared by many people
Jäger (also Jager, Jaeger, or Jæger; ) is a common German surname. It comes from the German word for " hunter". Related surnames in other languages include De Jager, Jágr, and Yeager.
The surname may refer to:
Usage examples of "jager".
The fifth day took them to Gomel, the sixth well past Chernigov, and they arrived in Kiev, not unduly fatigued, in time for luncheon on the seventh day, which Galina thought quite remarkable, and she consulted Igor about some extra payment to the jager for his efficiency, which appeared to cause Igor some amusement.
Jager must have interrupted a meeting at one of the clubs strigs went to.
Hunting Jager, you had a notion about taking out all the other strigs in town for their Hunt.
He was not so, however, and had enough life to hear, after the fight was over, the Austrian Jagers pass by, and again retire to their original positions, where their infantry was lying down, not dreaming for one moment of pursuing the Italians.
On September 17th he had crossed De Jagers Drift on the Blood River, not very far from Dundee, when he found himself in touch with the enemy.
But Jager had jettisoned spit and polish when he bailed out of his killed Panzer III.
And his counterquestion made Jager think--what would the authorities have to say about how he was working with the Red Army?
And his counterquestion made Jager think— what would the authorities have to say about how he was working with the Red Army?
He pointed to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross that Jager wore at his collar.