An attorney for Gray's family told reporters his death was due to spinal injuries, perhaps suffered during police transport. You have 4 free articles remaining this month, Sign-up to our daily newsletter for more articles like this + access to 5 extra articles. "At Hoboken, lately, a party of ladies and gentlemen were attacked by some New York thugs.... Perhaps, next November, as our readers go to the polling booths, they will recollect what we have said about Thuggism, and for the sake of the City's good name, will resolve to abate it.". In all that, the history of "thug" goes back not just to the hip-hop scene of the 1990s—to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, to Tupac Shakur and the "Thug Life" tattoo that stretched, arc-like, across his abdomen—but back, also, to India.To the India, specifically, of the 1350s. The English word Thug is derived from the Hindi word Thuggie by … This acronyn was made popular by American rap artist 2Pac. It’s been the title of songs by many American artists such as Taylor Swift and T pain, as well as overseas artists like French rap collective Mafia K’1 Fry and Kery James. "There was a gang of criminals known as the thuggee ." (On "Thug 4 Life," he raps: "Thug muthafuckas don't die, we get high, we multiply, muthafucka! This means to hide or conceal, mainly a secret concealment. Thug definition is - a violent or brutish criminal or bully. In southern India, the Thugs are also known as Phansigar, signifying "strangler" or "user of a garotte," after their favorite method of dispatching their victims. "Thug." This report on the history of the Ku Klux Klan, America’s first terrorist organization, was prepared by the Klanwatch Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center. See why nearly a quarter of a million subscribers begin their day with the Starting 5. The original Thugs were bands of roving criminals in India who strangled and robbed travellers. The Racially Charged Meaning Behind The Word 'Thug' NPR's Melissa Block speaks to John McWhorter, associate professor of English and comparative literature … Musician Questlove of the Roots likened thug to a racial slur, as did Baltimore City Councilman Carl Stokes in an appearance on CNN. 2) The Codes … Transferred sense of "ruffian, cutthroat, violent lowbrow" is from 1839. That same year, Thug signed to 300 Entertainment, the Atlantic-distributed imprint co-founded by Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles, and continued recording mixtapes.His first release for the label, 2015's Barter 6, climbed to number 22 on the Billboard 200 album chart.He began 2016 with I'm Up, the first of many mixtapes that year, which debuted at the same position as Barter. (horticulture) an over-vigorous plant that spreads and dominates the flowerbed. "As far as I can tell, thug goes back to the 14th Century," says Megan Garber, who traced the word's origin for a story in The Atlantic. This paramilitary would come to be known informally as the “Brownshirts” as they were clad in brown uniforms similar to the fascist “Blackshirts” of Italy. 2. also Thug One of a group of professional criminals, devotees of Kali, who robbed and murdered travelers in northern India until the mid-1800s. THE HATE U GIVE (THUG LIFE) ... “The Hate U Give Little Infants F**** Everybody” meaning that the actions done to certain groups of people will come back and bite the society that caused it. In January 2014, for example, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman said during a press conference, "It seems like it's the accepted way of calling somebody the N word nowadays.". Rigorously prosecuted by the British from 1831, they were driven from existence by century's end. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American hip hop group consisting of rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Flesh-n-Bone.The group was signed to Ruthless Records in late 1993, when they debuted with their EP Creepin on ah Come Up.The EP included their breakout hit single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone".In 1995, the group released its second album, E. 1999 Eternal, which included … And nearly 100 years later, 1984's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom portrayed the Thugs as villains from the Orient who engaged in human sacrifice. On Tuesday, President Barack Obama addressed the riots at a press conference, decrying "a handful of criminals and thugs who tore up the place.". Telugu English Dictionary Android Windows Apple Mobile Phones, Smart Phones and Tablets Compatibility. [Tupac Shakur's] vision redefined … ‘The search for bandits and Thugs is based on the author's search through the records, reports and literature concerning crime and criminality in India during the 1800s.’ Origin Early 19th century (in thug (sense 2)): from Hindi ṭhag ‘swindler, thief’, based on Sanskrit sthagati ‘he covers or conceals’. "There was a gang of criminals known as the thuggee." Some accounts describe these Thugs as belonging to a religious cult that worshipped the goddess of death and destruction and killed in order to please her. Thugs synonyms, Thugs pronunciation, Thugs translation, English dictionary definition of Thugs. Imagine you are traveling across 13th-century India and, suddenly, you encounter a … Bandit, bully, killer, murderer etc. This statement has provoked a multitude of moral panic and Tupac was heavily criticized for glorifying violence and the image of being a "thug". Thug Life Remixes are a series of YouTube videos that typically begin with home movies of preadolescents using overly confrontational or expletive language, followed by a freeze-frame at a close-up image of the subject and an instrumental fade out to Dr. Dre’s 1992 gangsta rap song “Nuthin’ But a … The word Thug originates from an 800 year old cult called Thuggee in India. The codes where designed to give order to the rise of gang violence and drug dealing. Rawlings-Blake is black. MCWHORTER: Well, the word originates in India as a word for roughly that. The Ancient Origins Of The Word "Thug" Are Not What You'd Expect By: Santiago Gonzalez - May 23, 2019 "Thug" referred to a secret cult in India with the most intricate methods of killing and stealing from people on the road. "), "The label was attached to black and brown people, impoverished people, living in urban communities, regardless of their behavior," Jeffries tells Newsweek. What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Thug”? Another stated origin is that their ancestor was the Thug … The leader of a Thuggee group was called a jemadar, a term that means essentially "boss-man. It was etymology experts who did so. ", The word's use by Westerners to describe Easterners would come full circle during the War on Terror, Wagner points out, as President George W. Bush referred to insurgents in Iraq as "thugs and assassins. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples In an interview, Tupac said THUG LIFE was actually an acronym standing for ' … Thug has a checkered history from its origins as a 19th-century Hindi word for thief to its present-day status as a racist dog-whistle. The word “thug” originates from the Thugs of India, highway bandits who would rob and kill travelers. Obama's use of the word this week called to mind French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who in 2005 infamously referred to youth rioting over the accidental deaths of two young people who were hiding from police in a Paris suburb as "scum." Thug Life is a popular phrase in today’s Hip Hop culture, though very few know what it actually means and why it’s used. thug definition: 1. a man who acts violently, especially to commit a crime: 2. a man who acts violently, especially…. After the funeral of Freddie Gray ignited protests in the streets of Baltimore, several elected officials used a word to describe those people who were setting fire to buildings, stealing from stores and smashing car windows and taillights: "thugs.". The Thugs or Thuggees, were history’s most notorious and deadly criminal cult. One of a band of assassins formerly active in northern India who worshipped Kali and offered their victims to her. Right? The first known record of the Thugs as an organized group, as opposed to ordinary thieves, is in Ẓiyāʾ-ud-Dīn Baranī's History of Fīrūz Shāh dated to around 1356. One of a band of assassins formerly active in northern India who worshipped Kali and offered their victims to her. "We have never seen the comparison made, but it is so obvious that it must have suggested itself to some reader or writer," the article states. Who Is Freddie Gray and Why Are People Burning for Him? "Thug" Origin . Thugswere Hindu and Muslim Indians whose Thuggeecult was based on the worship of goddess, Kali. Letters: Meaning And Origins Of 'Thug' NPR's Robert Siegel and Melissa Block read our listeners' reactions to Thursday's discussion on the meaning of the word "thug." A "thug" is a word to describe someone, often a male, who is involved in criminal activity like violence, gangs or drugs. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this cult is responsible for the death of 2 million unsuspecting travelers. The sect called Jamuldahee was named so because its members lived along the Yamuna river, they hailed from the Doab and Awadh regions. 1810, "member of a gang of murderers and robbers in India who strangled their victims," from Marathi thag, thak "cheat, swindler," Hindi thag, perhaps from Sanskrit sthaga-s "cunning, fraudulent," from sthagayati "(he) covers, conceals," from PIE root *(s)teg- "to cover.". The word “thug” has been in the American lexicon for a long time, but the origins of the word date well past even the founding of the United States. thug (plural thugs) Someone with an intimidating and unseemly appearance and mannerisms, who treats others violently and roughly, often for hire. Find 24 ways to say thug, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Originally these gangs committed murder following precise religious rites to honour Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction. "As far as I can tell, thug goes back to the 14th century," says Megan Garber, who traced the word's origin for a story in The Atlantic. ", Too many people have invested in building up this city to allow thugs to tear it down. The name Thug, Thuggeeor Tuggeeis derived from the Sanskrit, sthagand Pali,thak. When Tupac Shakur popularized the phrase "thug life" in the early 1990s, writes Michael Jeffries in Thug Life: Race, Gender, and the Meaning of Hip-Hop, "the concept of the thug underwent a...transformation, from signifying disgust, rebellion, and nihilism to evoking coolness and power." This paramilitary would come to be known informally as the “Brownshirts” as they were clad in brown uniforms similar to the fascist “Blackshirts” of Italy. Such accounts made their way into Western culture during British colonization and through anthropological writings such as Edward Thornton's Illustrations of the History and Practices of the Thugs (1837). Notably, Shakur used "thug life" as an acronym for "This Hate U Gave Lil' Infants Fuck Everybody." pic.twitter.com/bGjT5ru5cy, In recent years, members of the black community have said thug is simply a politically correct replacement for racial slurs. thug synonyms, thug pronunciation, thug translation, English dictionary definition of thug. 2. also Thug One of a … thug definition: 1. a man who acts violently, especially to commit a crime: 2. a man who acts violently, especially…. Learn more. Telugu Meaning of Thug or Meaning of Thug in Telugu. “Thug” finds its roots in the Hindi word “thag,” which translates into “thief,” and the Sanskrit word “sthagati”, which means to conceal. n. 1. Thuggee were known for befriending travelers and killing them with the ultimate intention of robbing them. A cutthroat or ruffian; a hoodlum. thug (sense 1) arose in the mid 19th century. thug (n.) 1810, "member of a gang of murderers and robbers in India who strangled their victims," from Marathi thag, thak "cheat, swindler," Hindi thag, perhaps from Sanskrit sthaga-s "cunning, fraudulent," from sthagayati " (he) covers, conceals," from PIE root * (s)teg- "to cover." But what if I tell you that word “Thug” was not used in English literature before 1800 & it was the name of cast in India. Thuggee were known for befriending travelers and killing them with the ultimate intention of robbing them. Colonial accounts speak of groups of Thugs who practiced Thuggee and would rob and kill travelers. Klanwatch was formed in 1981 to help curb Klan and racist violence through litigation, education and monitoring. Thug, Hindi ṭhag, Sanskrit sthaga (“thief,” “rogue”), member of a well-organized confederacy of professional assassins who traveled in gangs throughout India for several hundred years. In 1921, Adolf Hitler formally organized some of the right-wing thugs who had been fighting on the streets into a paramilitary organization dubbed the Sturmabteiling (SA) which literally translates to Storm Unit.. Usage of thug How Can Racism Be Fixed by Race-Neutral Measures? "It allowed them to criminalize any kind of indigenous activity as being something that was inherently irrational and politically illegitimate, not different from the way it's used today. The origin of the word "Thug" couldn't be farther from its present meaning. This is the origin of the term “thug”, as many Indian words passed into common English during British Imperial rule of India. Thuggees (Thugs) Circa 1300 – mid/late 1800s India, Pakistan . Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committees Have Way Too Much Power, Baltimore's Mayor Rawlings-Blake Criticized for Riot Response. [Hindi ṭhag, perhaps from Sanskrit sthagaḥ, a cheat, from sthagati, sthagayati, he conceals; see (s)teg- in Indo-European roots.] "The word "Thug" comes from the Urdu thagi, which is taken from the Sanskrit sthaga meaning "scoundrel" or "cunning one." Find 24 ways to say thug, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Etymology experts have traced the word thug to the Hindi word meaning a cheat or a swindler. The word “thug” is derived from a word ठग्गी in the Hindi language of India. ", Hip-hop culture also adopted the word. Thug is a term for a violent, lawless person, especially a man. Thug Life THUG LIFE 1) acronym for "The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everyone". A post on her Twitter account said, "Too many people have invested in building up this city to allow thugs to tear it down."