'illegitimately-acquired' originates from the combination of 'illegitimate' and 'acquire', where 'illegitimate' means 'not authorized by law' and 'acquire' means 'to gain possession of'.

'Illegitimate' changed from the Latin word 'illegitimus' and 'acquire' from the Latin 'acquirere', eventually forming the modern English term 'illegitimately-acquired'.

Initially, 'illegitimate' meant 'not in accordance with the law', and 'acquire' meant 'to gain possession'. Together, they evolved to describe possessions obtained unlawfully.