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
- obsolete a captive or prisoner
- 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
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