plunder

Where does the word "plunder" come from? It comes from German plündern, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Plunder’s story begins in German: plündern meant “to strip a household of goods.” Meaning "to rob of household goods", from Middle High German plunder (household goods, baggage). It reached English by 1600s as plunder. Adopted during the Thirty Years' War through contact with German-speaking mercenaries. Today, plunder means to rob a place or person by force, especially during war or chaos.

1. Stage 1 · German · medieval plündern "to strip a household of goods", meaning "to rob of household goods", from Middle High German plunder (household goods, baggage).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s plunder "to rob by force, especially during war", adopted during the Thirty Years' War through contact with German-speaking mercenaries.