"German sharpshooter," 1776, from German jäger, literally "huntsman," from jagen "to hunt," from Old High German jagon, related to Old Frisian jagia, Dutch jagen "to hunt," Old Norse jaga "to drive, to move to and fro" (see yacht). Applied to riflemen and sharpshooters in the German and Austrian armies. Englished as yager, yaeger from 1804.