Thug Definition

Origin of Thug

• From Hindi ठग्गी (á¹­haggÄ«), from Marathi ठक (thak, “thief, swindler"), from Sanskrit स्थग (sthaga, “cunning, fraudulent, to cover, to conceal") hence स्थगति (sthagati, “he/she/it covers, he/she/it conceals"). Thuggee was an Indian network of secret fraternities who were engaged in murdering and robbing travellers and known for strangling their victims, operating from the 17th century (possibly as early as 13th century) to the 19th century. During British Imperial rule of India, many Indian words passed into common English, and in 1810 thug referred to members of these Indian gangs. The sense was adopted more generally as "ruffian, cutthroat" by 1839.

  From Wiktionary

• Hindi ṭhag perhaps from Sanskrit sthagaḥ a cheat from sthagati, sthagayati he conceals (s)teg- in Indo-European roots

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition