Where does “bastard” come from?
Bastard derives from Middle English bastard, from Old French bastard, from Frankish bāst, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots bʰendʰ- and kert-.
bastard (English): A person who was born out of wedlock, and hence...
Definitions
- A person who was born out of wedlock, and hence...
Ancestry of “bastard”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bastard | an illegitimate child, especially a noble one; a... |
| 2 | Old French | bastard | bastard person conceived to unmarried parents |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | bastardus | illegitimate child |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | banstuz | bond, tie |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰendʰ- | to bind; bond |
Words derived from “bastard”