dacoit

Where does the word "dacoit" come from? It comes from Hindi dakait, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

Dacoit’s story begins in Hindi: dakait meant “an armed robber.” A member of an armed gang of robbers. It reached English by 1800s as dacoit. The British set up a special Thuggee and Dacoity Department in 1835 to suppress gang robbery. Today, dacoit means a member of an armed gang of robbers, especially in South Asia.

1. Stage 1 · Hindi · medieval dakait "an armed robber", a member of an armed gang of robbers.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s dacoit "a member of a band of armed robbers", the British set up a special Thuggee and Dacoity Department in 1835 to suppress gang robbery.