Where does “bâtard” come from?

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

Ancestry of “bâtard”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchbastardbastard person conceived to unmarried parents
2Medieval Latinbastardusillegitimate child
3Proto-Germanicbanstuzbond, tie
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰendʰ-to bind; bond

Words derived from “bâtard”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰendʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic banstuz →Every word from Medieval Latin bastardus →
bâtard — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer