Bantam
/ˈbæn.təm/noun
A small but spirited person or thing; also a small breed of chicken.
Did you know?The word first referred to small chickens from the Indonesian port of Bantam (now Banten), and English later turned that exotic trade-name into a metaphor for a compact, combative person.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
bantam
“A small domestic fowl imported from Bantam in Java.”
16th Century
Dutch
Bantam
“The port city name in western Java, a trade center known to Europeans.”
Malay/Indonesian
Malay
Banten
“The regional name for the area and sultanate on Java.”
19th Century
English
bantam
“A small but plucky person or thing, especially a cocky little man.”
Modern English
English
bantam
“Something or someone small, compact, and spirited.”