The Etymology of Bastard
Bastard arrived in English in the 13th century from Old French 'bastard,' where it had been a recognβββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββised legal status since at least the 11th century β an acknowledged child born outside marriage, often able to inherit property under Norman law. William the Conqueror was called 'William the Bastard' as a neutral descriptor before he became Conqueror in 1066. The deeper origin of the French word is genuinely disputed. The most-cited proposal connects it to Old French 'fils de bast' β son of a packsaddle β from 'bast' (a packsaddle used by muleteers as a makeshift bed on the road). On this reading the word marks the contrast between a child conceived in marriage and one conceived in transit. Alternative proposals link 'bast' to Germanic sources. From the start, English used the word both as legal term and insult, and the neutral sense of 'an irregular or hybrid form' (a bastard sword, a bastard file in carpentry) appeared by the late Middle Ages.