Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Bastard” come from?

Bastard (German) comes from Middle High German bastart, from Old French bastart, from Old French bastard, from Medieval Latin bastardus, from Proto-Germanic banstuz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰendʰ- — to bind; bond.

Bastard (German): bastard; bastard; mongrel; crossbreed, hybrid,...

Definitions

  1. bastard; bastard; mongrel; crossbreed, hybrid,...

Ancestry of “Bastard”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanbastartillegitimate child of a nobleman
2Old FrenchbastartAlternative form of bastard; bastard
3Old Frenchbastardbastard
4Medieval Latinbastardusillegitimate child
5Proto-Germanicbanstuzbond, tie
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰendʰ-to bind; bond

Words derived from “Bastard”

  • бастард
  • Bastardschildkröte
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰendʰ- →