The term bandit can be traced back to Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 2 (late 1590s) where it was spelled as bandeto. Over time, variations such as bandetto, bandito, and bandite emerged, all pointing to its Italian origin from the word bandito meaning “outlaw”. This term is the past participle of the verb bandire, which means “banish”, reflecting the idea of outlaws being banished from society. The root of bandire can be traced back to the Vulgar Latin verb bannire, meaning “to proclaim”, as outlaws were banished through official proclamations. The addition of the letter d may have been influenced by a similar Gothic word. Ultimately, bannire (also the source of ban and banish) stems from the Proto-Indo-European root bha, which means “to speak”.
