an armed robber or bandit, historically particularly in Hungary and the Balkans; also, a retainer or soldier in historical Ottoman or Hungarian contexts.
From Hungarian 'hajdú,' possibly from Turkish 'haydut,' referring to armed outlaws or mercenaries; the term evolved to describe both bandit groups and legitimate military retainers.
Hajdúks were so famous that they became folk heroes—their stories were told around fires, and some were actually legitimized and given land by kings in exchange for military service, transitioning from criminals to nobility.
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