Where does “contraband” come from?
Contraband comes from Spanish contrabanda, from Italian contrabando, combining Italian contra (against) with Latin bannum (prohibition or edict).
contraband (English): any goods which are illicit or illegal to...
Definitions
- any goods which are illicit or illegal to...
Ancestry of “contraband”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | contrabanda | Archaic spelling of contrabando |
| 2 | French | contrebande | smuggling |
| 3 | Italian | contrabbando | smuggling; contraband; first-person singular... |
| 4 | Italian | bando | announcement, notice, call; banishment; ban |
| 5 | Latin | bannum | Alternative form of bannus; accusative singular... |
| 6 | Frankish | ban | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | bannaną | to proclaim, to order; to summon; to ban |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂- | to shine, glow light; to speak, say |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂-s-ri- | — |