I don't think there is a clear consensus about the origin of the word. Although geography constrains it somewhat. [*] This orthography in particular is Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian Latin.




[*] Somewhat... I've also read that it may be related to Occitan "faydit" which also designates a class of rogue knights, of aristocratic origin but who had lost their fiefdoms during the Albigensian Crusade.