People who unlawfully take someone away by force, usually a child, often to demand money for their return.
From 'kidnap,' which emerged in the 1680s combining 'kid' (child) and 'nap' (from 'napper,' one who seizes). Originally used in English to describe the practice of forcibly taking young people to work as servants or soldiers in colonies.
The word 'kidnap' was born from a real historical horror—from the 1600s onward, children were actually stolen and shipped to America as laborers, so the term captures a specific dark chapter of history.
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