Quisling (Noun)
Pronunciation: ['kwiz-ling]
Definition: A traitor who turns against his or her own country to serve an invader.
Usage: This is a relatively new word so far without lexical offspring. The adjective would be "quislingly" which sounds odd. Better use the compound "quisling-like." It sounds queer as a verb, too, though its meaning lends itself readily to verbalization in the sense of "betray to an invader."
Suggested Usage: For those of us who remember World War II, today's word is a powerful condemnation in its literal sense, "The French partisans were always at risk of betrayal by quislings in their area." But as time scrapes on, "quisling" will no doubt take on a more general, diluted sense, "I knew the issue was dead when the new manager and his gang of quislings entered the conference room."
Etymology: A commonization of the last name of Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945), head of Norway's government during the Nazi occupation of World War II. Of all the heads of European states who chose to subserve the Nazi regime in World War II, Quisling was the misfortunate one commemorated for his weakness throughout the European languages.
quisling one who commits treason : collaborator
The country is ruled by a puppet government composed of quislings.
Did you know?
Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian army officer who in 1933 founded Norway's fascist party. In December 1939, he met with Adolf Hitler and urged him to occupy Norway. Following the German invasion of April 1940, Quisling served as a figurehead in the puppet government set up by the German occupation forces, and his linguistic fate was sealed. Before the end of 1940, "quisling" was being used generically in English to refer to any traitor. Winston Churchill, George Orwell, and H. G. Wells used it in their wartime writings. Quisling lived to see his name thus immortalized, but not much longer. He was executed for treason soon after the liberation of Norway in 1945.
traitor, collaborator, treason
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