Hello,

I’m enjoying season seven of “Outlander” on DVD at the moment and there’s much talk of traitors as most of this series is set during the American Revolution (1778 to be precise) and amongst all the rebellion there are a few turncoats. The word came from the action, turning your coat inside out to hide your original allegiance, but where did we get renegade?

Renegade’s original meaning was religious rather than martial. It arrived in English in the late 1500s to describe somebody who had denied their faith, usually a Christian who had become Muslim. English imported the word from renegado in Spanish. Spanish had inherited the word from renegare (to deny), a Latin verb. This verb also gives us the English verb to renege, often used about somebody breaking a promise, going back on their word.

By the 1660s a renegade was associated less with religion and more with military matters. It became a turncoat, one who deserts their unit, and perhaps even joins the enemy’s army.

Until next time happy reading, writing, and wordfooling,

Grace (@Wordfoolery)

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