Guide
The term "guide" refersan agencydirecting or showingway, specificallyperson who leads or directsstranger over unknown or unmapped country, or conducts travellerstourists throughtown, or over buildingsinterest.
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2 Military Usages 3 Mountaineering 4 Other Usages |
Etymology
The word guide (Middle English gyde, derives fromfromFrench guide;ultimately fromearlier French form guie (English “guy”). The /d/ sound originates withItalian form guida;word probably ultimately derives fromTeutonic, having connections withbase seenOld English witan (to know).Military Usages
In European wars up totime ofFrench Revolution,absencelarge-scale detailed maps made local guides almost essential todirectionmilitary operations,in18th centurygeneral tendency tostricter organizationmilitary resources ledvarious countries tospecial trainingguide officers (called Feldjäger,considered as general staff officers inPrussian army), who hadprimary dutyfinding,if necessary establishing, routes across countrythose parts ofarmy that hadmove parallel tomain roadas nearly as possible at deploying interval from each other,in those days armies rarely spread out so far ashaveusetwo or more made roads.Butnecessitysuch precautions died away when adequate surveys (in which guide officers were, at any rateKingdomPrussia, freely employed) became available, and, asdefinite termmilitary organization to-day, “guide” possesses no more essential peculiarity than "fusilier", "grenadier" or "rifleman". The genesis ofmodern “ Guide” regimentsperhapsbe found inshort-lived CorpsGuides formed by NapoleonItaly1796, which appearshave beenpersonal escort or body guard composedmen who knewcountry.
InBelgian armyGuide regiments camecorrespond almost toGuard cavalryother nations; inSwiss armysquadrons“Guides” act as divisional cavalry,in this role doubtlesscalled upon on occasionlead columns. The “Queen’s own CorpsGuides” ofIndian army consistedinfantry companiescavalry squadrons.
In drill,“guide “an officer or non-commissioned officer told offregulatedirectionpacemovements,remainder ofunit maintaining their alignmentdistances by him.
Mountaineering
A particular classguidesthose employedmountaineering; thesenot merelyshowway but stand inpositionprofessional climbersan expert knowledgerocksnowcraft, whichimpart toamateur, atsame time assuringsafety ofclimbing partydangerous expeditions. This professional classguides arose inmiddle of19th century when Alpine climbing became recognized assport. Itthus naturalfind thatAlpine guides have been requisitionedmountaineering expeditions all overworld. In climbingSwitzerland,central committee ofSwiss Alpine Club issuesguides’ tariff which fixeschargesguidesporters; therethree sections, forValaisVaudois Alps, forBernese Oberland,for centraleastern Switzerland. The namesmany ofgreat guides have become historical. In Chamonixstatue has been raisedJacques Balmat, who wasfirstclimb Mont Blanc1786. Ofmore famous guides sincebeginningAlpine climbing may be mentioned Auguste Balmat, Michel Cros, Maquignay, J. A. Carrel, who wentE. Whymper toAndes,brothers Lauener, Christian AlmerJakobMelchior Anderegg.Other Usages
The word "guide" can also refer tobook or document, insensean elementary primer on some subject, orone giving full informationtravellers ofcountry, district or town.In mechanical usage,term "guide" has widespread applications, being used anything which steadies or directsmotionan object, as of“leading” screw ofscrew-cutting lathe, ofloose pulley usedsteadydriving-belt, or ofbars or rods insteam-engine which keepsliding blocks moving instraight line. The doublet “guy “thus used ofrope which steadiessail when itbeing raised or lowered, or ofrope, chain or stay supporting an object such asfunnel, mast, derrick or tent.
Original text from1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica.
