Truant
/ˈtruːənt/noun
A person who is absent from school or work without permission.
Did you know?The English word *truant* ultimately comes from a Celtic root meaning “beggar” or “poor person,” which passed through Old French before becoming the label for someone who slips away from duty.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
PCelt
*trougos?
“A poor person or beggar (reconstructed root of uncertain exact form).”
Old French
OF
truant
“A beggar; a loafer; a vagrant.”
Middle English
ME
truant
“A lazy idler; a vagabond; later, a school absentee.”
16th Century
English
truant
“A person who shirks duty or is absent without leave.”
Modern English
English
truant
“A person absent from school or work without permission.”