'bayoneteer' originates from French, specifically from the French word 'bayonnetier' (related to 'bayonnette'), where 'bayonnette' is ultimately named after the town 'Bayonne' and the suffix '-ier' denoted 'one who does or uses'.

'bayoneteer' developed in English from the noun 'bayonet' (from French 'bayonnette', from Bayonne) with the agentive suffix '-eer' (from French/Low Latin suffixes such as '-ier'), forming 'bayoneteer' to mean 'one who uses a bayonet'.

Initially it referred generally to someone associated with the bayonet or its use; over time it came to mean specifically 'a soldier armed with a bayonet'.