'attackman' originates from English, specifically formed from the word 'attack' and the word 'man', where 'attack' ultimately comes from Old French 'ataque'/'attaquer' meaning 'attack' and 'man' comes from Old English 'mann' meaning 'person or male'.

'attack' entered Middle English from Old French (14th century) as forms like 'ataque'/'attaquer', and 'man' derives from Old English 'mann'. The compound 'attackman' developed in modern (primarily American) English in the 20th century as a sports term in lacrosse to denote an offensive player.

Initially it could be understood simply as 'a person who attacks', but over time the compound became specialized in sports usage to mean specifically 'an offensive lacrosse player'.