Where does “badass” come from?
badass (English) comes from English bad, from Middle English bad, from Old English bæd, from Old English biddan, from Proto-West Germanic biddjan, from Proto-Germanic bidjaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰidʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeydʰ- — to compel, force; to trust.
badass (English): A belligerent or mean person; a person with an...
Definitions
- A belligerent or mean person; a person with an...
Ancestry of “badass”, step by step
badass traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bad
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bad | Unfavorable; negative; not good; Not suitable or... |
| 2 | Middle English | bad | — |
| 3 | Old English | bæd | first/third-person singular preterite of biddan |
| 4 | Old English | biddan | to ask; to beg |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | biddjan | to ask, to make a request |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bidjaną | to make a request; to ask; to request, ask |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰidʰ- | to command; pot, bucket, barrel |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeydʰ- | to compel, force; to trust |
via English ass
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ass | Any of several species of horse-like animals,... |
| 2 | Middle English | asse | Alternative form of axen |
| 3 | Old English | assa | ass, donkey |
| 4 | Old English | assen | she-ass |
| 5 | Latin | asinus | a donkey, an ass; an ass, an idiot, a dolt, a... |
| 6 | Latin | acinus | a berry, especially the grape; the seed of a... |
| 7 | Latin | acies | sharp edge or point; battle line; battle,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱ- | sharp |