'combatant' originates from the French word 'combattant', which is derived from the Latin 'combattĕre', where 'com-' meant 'together' and 'battĕre' meant 'to fight'.

'combattant' transformed into the English word 'combatant' during the Middle Ages.

Initially, it meant 'one who fights', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.