Etymology

infangthief

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Today it means: A privilege of some feudal lords permitting them to execute summary judgment upon thieves captured within their estates, sometimes restricted to the lord's tenants or men and sometimes limited to those caught in flagrante delicto. Full definition →

Middle English infangthef ← Old English infangeneþēof
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The story

  1. Old English · inherited frominfangeneþēof“infangthief”
  2. Middle English · inherited frominfangthef
  3. English todayinfangthief

From Middle English infangthef, from Old English infangeneþēof (“infangthief”), from in- + fangen (“seized, taken”) + þēof (“thief”). See also infang.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.