MARSHAL, or MARESCAL. (marecallus), primarily
Marshal, marily denotes an officer who has the care or the command of horses. Nicod derives the word from polemarchus, "master of the camp;" Matthew Paris from Martis senescallus. In the old Gaulish language, march signified "horse;" whence marechal might signify "him who commanded the cavalry." Other derivations have been given by different authors; and the name itself has been applied to officers of very different employments.