bastardy (n.)

early 14c., "condition of illegitimacy," from Anglo-French and Old French bastardie, from bastard (see bastard). As "begetting of bastards, fornication" from 1570s.

Entries linking to bastardy

bastard (n.)

"illegitimate child," early 13c., from Old French bastard "acknowledged child of a nobleman by a woman other than his wife" (11c., Modern French bâtard), probably from fils de bast "packsaddle son," meaning a child conceived on an improvised bed (saddles often doubled as beds while traveling), with pejorative ending -art (see -ard). Alternative possibly is that the word is from Proto-Germanic *banstiz "barn," equally suggestive of low origin.

Compare German bänkling "bastard; child begotten on a bench" (and not in a marriage bed), the source of English bantling (1590s) "brat, small child." Bastard was not always regarded as a stigma; the Conqueror is referred to in state documents as "William the Bastard." Figurative sense of "something not pure or genuine" is late 14c. Use as a generic vulgar term of abuse for a man is attested from 1830. Among the "bastard" words in Halliwell-Phillipps' "Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words" are avetrol, chance-bairn, by-blow, harecoppe, horcop, and gimbo ("a bastard's bastard").

As an adjective from late 14c. It is used of things spurious or not genuine, having the appearance of being genuine, of abnormal or irregular shape or size, and of mongrels or mixed breeds.

Others are reading

Share bastardy

‘cite’

Page URL:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/bastardy

HTML Link:

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/bastardy">Etymology of bastardy by etymonline</a>

APA style:

Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of bastardy. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/bastardy

Chicago style:

Harper Douglas, “Etymology of bastardy,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/bastardy.

MLA style:

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of bastardy.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/bastardy. Accessed $(datetimeMla).

IEEE style:

D. Harper. “Etymology of bastardy.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/bastardy (accessed $(datetime)).

Definitions of bastardy

bastardy (n.)

the status of being born to parents who were not married;

Synonyms: illegitimacy / bar sinister

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near bastardy

basso

bassoon

bast

bastard

bastardize

bastardy

baste

baster

Bastille

bastinado

bastion