Rogue

 “Rogue” is an English vocabulary word (a noun) first attested to in the mid-16th century (c. 1540) and was originally coined to define “a scoundrel, rascal, begging vagabond” – most likely a shortened version of “roger” which was the slang term for fraudulent beggars on the streets of London pretending to be poor scholars from Oxford or Cambridge in order to solicit sympathy and thus money. Many etymologists surmise the term was derived from the Latin “rogare” meaning “to ask, seek, beg” but it may have also been influenced by the French word “rogue” meaning “arrogant” (although there is no concrete evidence for this particular connection).  It has also been theorized that the Brythonic-Celtic word “rog” (meaning “haughty”) may have played a part in the word’s development.  Over time, the term “rogue” began to take on a more playful meaning for a mischievous person or a little rascal.  By the 19th century, the definition of something “uncontrolled” or “undisciplined” took root in reference to a large, wild animal that separates from the pack and lives apart from its herd.