Where does “bastard” come from?

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

bastard (Old French): bastard person conceived to unmarried parents

Definitions

  1. bastard person conceived to unmarried parents

Ancestry of “bastard”, step by step

bastard traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Medieval Latin bastardus

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Medieval Latinbastardusillegitimate child
2Proto-Germanicbanstuzbond, tie
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰendʰ-to bind; bond

via Latin bastardus

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinbastardusbastard of illegitimate descent
2Frankishbāstmarriage

via Proto-Germanic banstiz

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicbanstizbarn, storehouse; crib

Words derived from “bastard”

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