noun
bastardy
BAS-ter-dee/ˈbæstərdi/
The state or legal status of being born to parents who are not married to each other.
The sequence illustrates bastardy: the child's birth precedes the parents' marriage.
Etymology
Old French bastard referred specifically to an acknowledged child of a nobleman by a woman other than his wife. The abstract ending turns that label into the condition of being born outside marriage.
In context
an illegitimate child inherits no surname at all it equally inherits no arms consequently it has no Shield upon which to carry a mark of bastardy
More examples
- The historian studies how bastardy affected inheritance in that period.
- Older court records contain disputes over bastardy.
- The lecture explains that bastardy is now an outdated, stigmatizing term.
Similar words
- illegitimacy
- Another historical status term carrying similar stigmatizing assumptions.