# Cavalry or Calvary? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 19, 2009, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277 "2009-06-19T08:09:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ceroill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Ceroill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceroill)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/1 "2009-06-19T08:09:26Z")
In referring to mounted soldiers, what is the correct usage- Cavalry or Calvary? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/2 "2009-06-19T08:16:25Z")
Cavalry. The other, Calvary, is where Jesus was crucified. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/3 "2009-06-19T08:17:00Z")
Cavalry == dudes on horses. Calvary == dude on cross. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/4 "2009-06-19T08:36:50Z")
Cavalry, blokes on horses, is ultimately from the Latin _caballus_, a horse. Calvary, name of the place of the crucifixion, is from the Latin _calvaria_, a skull, because the Aramaicc name of the place, usually anglicised today as Golgotha, means “place of the skull”. See, if only people still had a proper classical education, these confusions wouldn’t arise. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/5 "2009-06-19T10:12:37Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Cavalry, blokes on horses, is ultimately from the Latin _caballus_, a horse. Calvary, name of the place of the crucifixion, is from the Latin _calvaria_, a skull, because the Aramaicc name of the place, usually anglicised today as Golgotha, means “place of the skull”. > > See, if only people still had a proper classical education, these confusions wouldn’t arise. People with proper classical educations would also know that it’s spelled _Aramaic_. 😛 Honestly though most people don’t read. They only spell things the way they hear them, which is why you get so much hilariously wrong stuff like “walla” or “for all intensive purposes”. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/6 "2009-06-19T10:26:08Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > People with proper classical educations would also know that it’s spelled _Aramaic_. 😛 > > Honestly though most people don’t read. They only spell things the way they hear them, which is why you get so much hilariously wrong stuff like “walla” or “for all intensive purposes”. Oooh! What would an improper classical education be like? :eek: Roman orgies in heated baths? Greeks showing gay love? ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/7 "2009-06-19T10:28:51Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > See, if only people still had a proper classical education, these confusions wouldn’t arise. Ohh, I know! Somebody should write a book with definitions of words in it. Or even… a website! ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/8 "2009-06-19T11:43:09Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Honestly though most people don’t read. They only spell things the way they hear them, which is why you get so much hilariously wrong stuff like “walla” or “for all intensive purposes”. I get the “all intensive purposes” thing. What’s “walla” supposed to mean? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/9 "2009-06-19T11:46:29Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > I get the “all intensive purposes” thing. What’s “walla” supposed to mean? Nothing up my sleeve, and–walla!–a rabbit appears! “voila” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/10 "2009-06-19T11:47:19Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > What’s “walla” supposed to mean? Voilà. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/11 "2009-06-19T12:45:54Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > Ohh, I know! Somebody should write a book with definitions of words in it. Or even… a website! Ya beat me to it. Seriously, OP, you’re spending bandwidth to ask about the proper spelling of a word? Don’t you own a dictionary? That was a rhetorical question, BTW. You don’t even need to own a dictionary, you just need access to one. Thankfully, there’s one out there on that series of tubes I like to call the internet: the good folks at [www.dictionary.com](http://www.dictionary.com) have taken the time to compile a massive database of words used by English-speaking people. There’s a chance they might have the information you’re looking for. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/12 "2009-06-19T13:13:49Z")
[The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary](http://www.m-w.com) ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/13 "2009-06-19T13:18:23Z")
Calgary. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/14 "2009-06-19T13:23:04Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > Calgary. [Mounted on horses, but not soldiers.](http://calgarystampede.com/) I’m sure that’s where the name comes from, though. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/15 "2009-06-19T13:31:57Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > Calgary. Nah…it only feels like you’re being executed in the winter there. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/16 "2009-06-19T13:34:41Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Voilà. Viola! ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/17 "2009-06-19T14:49:47Z")
Enough of this thread! I am getting out of here toot sweet! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/18 "2009-06-19T14:52:56Z")
I would too, but it’s nice and comfy here on my chaise lounge. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/19 "2009-06-19T15:26:48Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Nothing up my sleeve, and–walla!–a rabbit appears! /me facepalms. Yeah, that annoys the heck out of me. It’s not even pronounced that way! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277/20 "2009-06-19T15:31:01Z")
There is quite a difference between the Calgary Stampede and a cavalry stampede. During the 1917 Allenby campaign of WWI, cavalry from Calgary charged up Calvary. (They were not accompanied by troops from Voilà Voilà, Washington.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cavalry-or-calvary/500277.md?page=2)