brigand

Where does the word "brigand" come from? It comes from Italian brigare, passing through Italian and Old French before entering English (1400).

Brigand’s story begins in Italian: brigare meant “to brawl, fight.” A verb meaning to brawl or fight, of disputed deeper origin. Within Italian, it grew into brigante by medieval. Named a lightly armed foot soldier or skirmisher. From there it passed into Old French as brigand by 1300s. From Italian 'brigante', a member of a band of foot soldiers, who often turned to plunder. It reached English by 1400 as brigand. Shifted from soldier to freebooter, as armed troops and outright criminals blurred together. Today, brigand means a bandit, especially one of a gang operating in wild or remote country.

1. Stage 1 · Italian · medieval brigare "to brawl, fight", a verb meaning to brawl or fight, of disputed deeper origin.
2. Stage 2 · Italian · medieval brigante "a light-armed soldier, skirmisher", named a lightly armed foot soldier or skirmisher.
3. Stage 3 · Old French · 1300s brigand "an irregular foot soldier", from Italian 'brigante', a member of a band of foot soldiers, who often turned to plunder.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1400 brigand "a bandit, robber", shifted from soldier to freebooter, as armed troops and outright criminals blurred together.