Abrek , meaning "outlaw exile, " and later, "bandit" in Russian, is a general term used among Muslim mountain dwellers and nearby rural populations in the North Caucasus. The word probably derives from Pahlavi ( *aparak > Persian āvāra "vagabond, robber"), borrowed into Ibero-Caucasian languages from Turkic. Its meaning has varied depending upon the historical context. In the pre-colonial period, abrek denoted a mountain dweller sentenced to exile for committing murder or another offence that would require the offended party to take blood revenge. Exiling the offender allowed for the avoidance