Theater Soldiers Puzzle

A soldier is one who fights as part of an organized land-based armed force;[1] if that force is for hire the person is generally termed a mercenary soldier, or mercenary.[2] The majority of cognates of the word "soldier" that exist in other languages have a meaning that embraces both commissioned and non-commissioned officers in national land forces.

The word soldier entered modern English in the 14th century from the equivalent Middle English word soudeour, from Anglo-French soudeer or soudeour, meaning mercenary, from soudee, meaning shilling's worth or wage, from sou or soud, shilling.[3] The word is also related to the Medieval Latin soldarius, meaning soldier (literally, "one having pay").[4] These words ultimately derive the Late Latin word solidus, referring to an Ancient Roman coin used in the Byzantine Empire.