兵 and 卒 both mean "soldier". But what is their difference?
From what I can piece together, the origin of 兵 came from weaponry (兵器). So originally, 兵 does not mean "soldier". 卒 came from 步卒, like, foot soldiers.
Eventually, it seems, 兵 would refer to soldiers that go to war, and 卒 would refer to soldiers stationed at garrisons and the like.
Some said nowadays both 兵 and 卒 mean "soldier". But can they be used interchangeably? I'm not sure, to be honest. What I know is, now, 兵 can adequately be used for "soldier", and it's the term used in everyday life, in conversations, news, and the such, while I've rarely heard 卒 being used, with Chinese chess (and idioms and the such) being the exception.
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