French Words for Pirates

Historically, French naval depositions contain various words referencing pirates. They appear below in the matter of frequency.

By far, the most often used was *forban* - a pirate or a sailor acting on his own account without official authorization (a letter of marque), attacking any ship indiscriminately. Figuratively, the term refers to an unscrupulous, dishonest, or dangerous individual. The word derives from the Old French *forbannir* (to banish).

A *flibustier* is a pirate or privateer of the 17th and 18th centuries—primarily active in the Caribbean Sea—who attacked Spanish ships and settlements. Derived from the English word *freebooter* ("free plunderer"), the term originally referred to an adventurer associated with the islands of the Americas (such as Tortuga). In a figurative sense, it denotes a rogue or a swindler.

A *brigand* is primarily a person who commits theft, looting, or armed violence, often as part of an organized gang. The term denotes a dangerous malefactor—such as a bandit, gangster, or highwayman—or, by familiar extension, a dishonest person. It is also used to describe a mischievous child.

A *pirate* is a maritime criminal—an adventurer acting on his own behalf—who attacks and plunders merchant vessels without state authorization. Unlike a privateer, he is considered an international outlaw. By extension, the term refers to a thief, a hijacker, or a cyberpirate.

A *buccaneer* was originally a 17th-century French adventurer who hunted wild cattle in the Antilles to *boucan* (smoke) the meat and sell the hides. Originating from Saint-Domingue (today's Haiti), they allied themselves with freebooters to form the "Brethren of the Coast," eventually becoming synonymous with the pirates and privateers of the Caribbean.