Etymology Explorer › Middle French

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
2Medieval Latinbastardusillegitimate child
3Proto-Germanicbanstuzbond, tie
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰendʰ-to bind; bond

Words derived from “bâtard”

  • batard
  • bâtardement
  • abâtardissement
  • abâtardir
  • bâtard
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰendʰ- →