assassin

Where does the word "assassin" come from? It comes from Arabic ḥashīshī, passing through Medieval Latin and Italian before entering English (c. 1530s).

Assassin’s story begins in Arabic: ḥashīshī meant “hashish user.” A nickname for members of the Nizari Ismaili sect based at Alamut. By c. 1200s, the word had taken hold in Medieval Latin as assassinus. Crusaders in the Levant carried the term back to Europe. From there it passed into Italian as assassino by c. 1300s. Generalized from the sect's name to any hired killer. It reached English by c. 1530s as assassin. Borrowed via Italian accounts of the Crusades. Today, assassin means a person who murders a prominent person, often for political or religious motives.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · c. 1100s ḥashīshī "hashish user", a nickname for members of the Nizari Ismaili sect based at Alamut.
2. Stage 2 · Medieval Latin · c. 1200s assassinus "a member of the secretive killer sect", crusaders in the Levant carried the term back to Europe.
3. Stage 3 · Italian · c. 1300s assassino "a murderer for hire", generalized from the sect's name to any hired killer.
4. Stage 4 · English · c. 1530s assassin "a murderer, especially of a political figure", borrowed via Italian accounts of the Crusades.