# Looking for words like vandal, thug, assassin **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 31, 2018, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582 "2018-08-31T17:28:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/21 "2018-08-31T20:32:10Z")
Shinobi And Ninja “The two most famous ninja clans were Iga (from Mie prefecture) and Koga (Shiga prefecture).” > **[15 Basic Facts Most People Don't Know About The Actual History Of Ninjas](https://www.ranker.com/list/history-behind-shinobi-japans-real-ninjas/travis-morgan)** > > Are ninjas real? While they seem like a part of Japanese folklore, they are, in fact, real. Though most people think of the ancient shinobi mercenaries as nothing but stealth assassins, in reality, they were a lot more James Bond than Sonny... I was going to add “Lawyer” but couldn’t make it fit.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/22 "2018-08-31T20:33:54Z")
Philistine (uncultured person, from the people) cannibal (from the Taino name for the Carib, who apparently were just that) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/23 "2018-08-31T20:50:21Z")
Zealot, from an ancient Jewish sect ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/24 "2018-08-31T20:52:21Z")
Samaritan . ---
**Author:** ![Hapax\_Legomenon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8c91f0/32.png) [@Hapax\_Legomenon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hapax_Legomenon)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/25 "2018-08-31T21:25:34Z")
‘Yanki’ in Japanese, in the sense of ‘delinquent youth’. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/26 "2018-08-31T22:06:44Z")
Gringo, which probably is derived from _griego_, Spanish for Greek, referring to speakers of an unintelligible language (although the origin is disputed) Tartar, for a violent or ferocious person Sodomite ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/27 "2018-08-31T23:16:01Z")
Baluba ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/28 "2018-08-31T23:17:55Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Slaves - from Slavs And it’s not a noun, but it’s been adopted into many languages from Italian: “Ciao”, from Latin “sclavus” (meaning slave), from “Slav”. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/29 "2018-08-31T23:43:56Z")
I hope adjectives that can describe people count. The common adjective _frank_ (originally meaning “free”, now more often “honest”) and related words like _franchise_, _franking_ (free use of the postal service), etc., and the personal names Frank, Francis, and Frances, are all derived from the the name of the Franks, an ancient Germanic tribe. They are also the namesake of France. _Lumberer_ is a rare word (at least on this side of the pond) for a pawnbroker. It is probably ultimately from the name of the Lombards, another Germanic tribe. Some sources claim _lumbering_ (“moving awkwardly”) is from the same source but this is doubtful. _Mohawk_ or _Mohock_ was a word for “ruffian” in London current in the early 1700s. _Pharisee_ (“a stickler for rules”) is from the Jewish sect. _Dunce_ (“stupid person”) doesn’t quite fit the bill. It originally referred to theologian John Duns Scotus and his followers, but he didn’t found anything you could call a sect, but more a school of thought. If philosophical schools counted we’d have to include _cynic_ and _skeptic_. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/30 "2018-09-01T01:08:22Z")
Have we listed “cretin” yet? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/31 "2018-09-01T02:44:23Z")
Charlatan, possibly. > **[Charlatan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlatan)** > > A charlatan (also called a swindler or mountebank) is a person practicing quackery or a similar confidence trick in order to obtain money, power, fame, or other advantages through pretense or deception. One example of a charlatan appears in The Pardoner's Tale, with the Pardoner who tricks sinners into buying fake religious relics. Synonyms for charlatan include shyster, quack, or faker. Quack is a reference to quackery or the practice of dubious medicine, including the sale of snake oil, or a p... > [@](#): > > Ultimately, etymologists trace “charlatan” from either the Italian ciarlare, to chatter or prattle; **or from Cerretano, a resident of Cerreto, a village in Umbria, known for its quacks.** ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/32 "2018-09-01T02:50:30Z")
The word “mong” (a mild put-down meaning silly fool) that got Ricky Gervais in trouble derives from the once-mainstream use of “Mongoloid” to describe Down’s Syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/33 "2018-09-01T03:10:52Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Also, spartan. Not to mention “Laconic” ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/34 "2018-09-01T03:41:59Z")
Hun went from Hungarians to Germans to the English. A lot of racist terms for Italians seem to come from other ethnic groups, but the etymology is questionable. Guinea, dago, wog. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/35 "2018-09-01T05:13:36Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > _Dunce_ (“stupid person”) doesn’t quite fit the bill. It originally referred to theologian John Duns Scotus and his followers, but he didn’t found anything you could call a sect, but more a school of thought. If philosophical schools counted we’d have to include _cynic_ and _skeptic_. And epicure (originally from the philosopher Epicurus). ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/36 "2018-09-01T05:38:06Z")
Farang - widely used in south and southeast Asian languages to mean whites or Europeans - ultimately derives from the Franks. Crusader - used as a pejorative analogous to ‘infidel’ - has gained currency in recent years, especially among Muslims. Bugger - from Bulgar, or both derived from the same source. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/37 "2018-09-01T05:46:57Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Shinobi And Ninja > > “The two most famous ninja clans were Iga (from Mie prefecture) and Koga (Shiga prefecture).” > > [The Interesting History Behind Ninjas You Won't Learn From Movies](https://www.ranker.com/list/history-behind-shinobi-japans-real-ninjas/travis-morgan) Both Ninja and Shinobi are descriptors of the occupation, if you look at the Chinese characters. While it is true that two towns were the source of many of the people who served in that occupation, it was not limited to them, did not describe everyone from those towns, nor did it come from the name of the people of that area. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/38 "2018-09-01T05:51:42Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > Crusader - used as a pejorative analogous to ‘infidel’ - has gained currency in recent years, especially among Muslims. It it right to say that this was the identifier for an ethnic/religious group analogous to the other examples? Seems more like it describes an activity. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/39 "2018-09-01T05:52:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Have we listed “cretin” yet? Lest this be thought a reference to people from Crete, the origin is from “Christian” (as a reminder that the mentally defective were still human beings.) ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582/40 "2018-09-01T11:36:28Z")
> [@newme](#): > > Welcher or welsher In German, “welsch” usually meant a generic sort of foreigner, or more commonly southern Europeans, at least in classical literature. It’s easy to see how from Anglo-Saxon it would come to mean the Celts who ended up in Wales, but whether the English usage to mean someone untrustworthy or dishonest originally attached to them, or to foreigners in general, I don’t know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-words-like-vandal-thug-assassin/820582.md?page=3)