amalaitan.

Etymology: < Zulu amalayitha < ama- , plural class prefix + -layitha street robber, gang member, gang of this kind, of uncertain origin, perhaps ultimately < English light n.¹, although the semantic motivation is not entirely clear (suggestions include association with moonlighter n. or with to light up at light v.² Phrasal verbs (in this case after Zulu khanyisa to pay up, literally ‘to light up’)).Compare Southern Sotho malaeta, in the same sense , although the nature of its relationship to the Zulu word is unclear. The Southern Sotho word has also been borrowed into English as the less common malaita (1959 or earlier). The Zulu word is plural (singular ulayitha); English plural forms with -s are a secondary development.