Where does “bastard” come from?
bastard (Swedish) comes from Medieval Latin bastardus, from Proto-Germanic banstuz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰendʰ- — to bind; bond.
Ancestry of “bastard”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | bastardus | illegitimate child |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | banstuz | bond, tie |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰendʰ- | to bind; bond |