Etymology Dictionary

LANSQUENET,  a German foot-soldier; a game at cards.  (F.,—G.)   Corruptly spelt lanceknight in old authors, by a popular blunder.   See Ben Jonson, Every Man, ed. Wheatley, A. ii. sc. 4. l. 21.—F. lansquenet, 'a lanceknight, or German footman; also, the name of a game at cards;' Cot.—G. (and Du.) landsknecht, a foot-soldier.—G. lands, put for landes, gen. case of land, land, country; and knecht, a soldier.   Land = E. land; and knecht = E. knight.   Thus the word is land's-knight, not lance-knight.   ¶ The term means a soldier of the flat or Low Countries, as distinguished from the men who came from the highlands of Switzerland; see Revne Britannique, no. for Sept. 1866, p. 29 (Littré).