Fugitive
/ˈfjuː.dʒɪ.tɪv/noun
A person who is fleeing from justice, danger, or captivity.
Did you know?The PIE root *bʰeug- 'to flee' linked human fugitives to wild bucks darting from predators and the bow's bend in evasive maneuvers.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European (~4500 BCE)
PIE
*bʰeug-
“to flee, escape”
Ancient Greek (c. 800 BCE)
Gk
pheúgō
“to flee, shun, escape”
Latin (c. 700 BCE)
Lat
fugere
“to flee, take flight”
Classical Latin (1st C. BCE)
Lat
fugitīvus
“fleeing, runaway (often a fugitive slave)”
Old French (12th C.)
OF
fugitif
“fugitive, one who flees”
Middle English (14th C.)
ME
fugitif
“fugitive from law or pursuers”
Modern English (16th C.+ )
Eng
fugitive
“one fleeing justice or danger”