The word "劫匪" is formed by combining the character "劫", meaning robbery or plunder, which is etymologically composed of "去" (to go) and "力" (force) to imply forceful seizure, with the character "匪", meaning bandit or robber, derived from "非" (not) enclosed in a frame that historically suggested containment but now denotes a criminal person; together, "劫" conveys the act of robbing and "匪" identifies the person committing it, creating a compound term for a robber or hijacker.