Vagabond
/ˈvæɡ.əˌbɒnd/noun
A person who wanders from place to place without a fixed home or regular work.
Did you know?The word entered English through Old French, but its deeper roots go back to Latin *vagari*, and the same ancient wander-root still lives in words like *vague* and *divagate*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wegh-
“to go, move, transport”
Latin
Latin
vagari
“to wander, roam about”
Late Latin
Latin
vagabundus
“wandering about, roving”
Old French
Old French
vagabond
“a wanderer, vagrant”
Middle English
English
vagabound / vagabond
“a person without a settled home, a wanderer”
Modern English
English
vagabond
“a person who moves from place to place with no fixed home”
Explore more surprising origins