盗とう掠りゃく

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb

stealing; looting; plundering

Rare literary term for theft or pillaging, often implying taking goods by force or in a disorderly context. In modern Japanese, 略奪 (りゃくだつ) is the usual word.

• 古こ文ぶん書しょには、戦せん乱らんの折おりに村むら々むらで盗とう掠りゃくが行おこなわれたと記しるされている。

  Ancient documents record that looting took place in the villages during the turmoil of war.

• 「盗とう掠りゃく」は現げん代だいではほとんど使つかわれず、代かわりに「略りゃく奪だつ」が用もちいられる。

  The word 盗掠 is hardly used today; 略奪 is used instead.