Contraband is illegal or prohibited traffic in goods, smuggling; also goods or merchandise whose importation, exportation, or possession is forbidden.
Contraband first appeared in English in the early 1500s as a borrowing of Italian "contrabbando." This Italian word can be traced to the Medieval Latin word "contrabannum," a combination of contra- (against) and bannum (decree). Bannum is Germanic in origin and is related to Old High German bannan (to command). Bannan is also related to Middle English bannen (to summon or to curse), the source of the English verb ban (which now means to prohibit but which once also meant to curse).
1 comment:
As opposed to a Contra Band that plays for Contra Dances (lol)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_dance
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