From Latin 'vagari' (to wander), blended with Anglo-Norman — the same root that gives us 'vague,' 'vagabond,' and 'extravagant.'
A person without a settled home or regular work who wanders from place to place.
From Anglo-Norman 'wakerant' (wandering), probably influenced by Latin 'vagari' (to wander) and Old French 'vagant.' The word is a hybrid — the Germanic 'wander' concept fused with the Latin 'vagus' (wandering) root, creating a word that looks Latin but isn't entirely. Key roots: vagari (Latin: "to wander, roam").
'Vagrant,' 'vague,' 'vagabond,' and 'extravagant' all come from Latin 'vagari' (to wander). Being 'vague' is letting your thoughts wander. A 'vagabond' is a wanderer. Being 'extravagant' is wandering outside ('extra') normal bounds. Even 'vagary' (an unpredictable change) is a wandering. One Latin verb for aimless walking produced an entire English vocabulary of uncertainty, homelessness, and overspending.