ठग
Thug
(ṭhaga)Deceiver, swindler — the Sanskrit origin of the modern English word
Full Meaning
The English word "thug" comes from the Sanskrit ṭhaga — meaning "cheat, deceiver, swindler." The Thuggee were a cult of thieves and murderers in colonial India who used deception to approach and rob travellers. The British encountered them in the 19th century and brought the word back to English, where it gradually expanded to mean any violent criminal.
Etymology
From the root ṭhag (ठग्) — to deceive, to cheat, to defraud. One who tricks and deceives.
Usage in Sanskrit Texts
The Thuggee cult was suppressed by the British in the 1830s. The word "thug" has since broadened in English from "religious criminal cult member" to "violent street criminal."
ठगः — The deceiver. A word so specific it became a window into history.
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