"professional leader of a mercenary troop," 1794, from Italian condottiere, from condotto "to conduct," from Latin conducere "to lead or bring together" (see conduce).
Entries linking to condottiere
conduce v.
c. 1400, "to lead, conduct" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin conducere "to lead or bring together, contribute, serve," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + ducere "to lead" (from PIE root *deuk- "to lead"). Intransitive sense of "aid in or contribute toward a result" is from 1580s.