corporal
UK: ˈkɔː.pər.əl | US: ˈkɔːr.pɚ.əl
adj. relating to the physical body
n. a low-ranking military officer (e.g., in the army or marines)
The word "corporal" traces back to the Latin "corpus," meaning "body." The suffix "-al" (from Latin "-alis") transforms it into an adjective, originally denoting physicality (e.g., "corporal punishment"). The military rank sense emerged in the 16th century, metaphorically extending the idea of the "body" to a unit’s structural hierarchy (a leader of a small "body" of troops).
Corporal punishment is banned in many schools.
He was promoted to corporal after two years of service.
The injury caused severe corporal damage.
The corporal led his squad through the training exercise.
Medieval laws often included harsh corporal penalties.