Caitiff

From Fresh Dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun

English

Etymology

Old French caitif ‘captive’, a varient of chaitif (French chétif), from a Proto-Romance alteration of Latin captivus ‘captive’.

Pronunciation

IPA: /'keɪtɪf/

Noun

caitiff

1. (obsolete) a captive or prisoner
2. (archaic) a villain, a coward or wretch

   • Late C14: For, certes, lord, þer is noon of us alle / Þat she ne haþ been a duchesse or a queene. / Now be we caytyves, as it is wel seene, / Þanked be Fortune and hire false wheel — Geoffrey Chaucer, The Knight's Tale
   • 1989: ‘There are plenty of Huns who have defected to the Romans, seeking gold and a quiet life. One of my first tasks as paramount chief is to bring those caitiffs back and crucify them.’ — Anthony Burgess, The Devil's Mode