traitor

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A person who betrays their country, often by helping an enemy.

   He was executed as a traitor for selling secrets to the enemy.

2. 2
   noun

   Someone who betrays a friend, group, or person who trusted them.

   They called him a traitor for telling the boss about their plan.

Simplified etymology

Traitor entered English in the Middle English period and comes from the same Latin root as tradition: tradere, “to deliver” or “hand over,” formed from trans-, “across,” and dare, “to give.” Its sense developed from the idea of someone who hands something over to an enemy.

From Middle English traitor, traitour, traytour, from Old French traïtor (French traître), from Latin trāditor. Displaced native Middle English swike from Old English swica (“traitor”), and Middle English proditour and traditour borrowed directly from Latin. The general Old English word denoting "traitor" was lǣwa or lǣwend. Doublet of traditor.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary