Bantamweight
/ˈbæn.təm.weɪt/noun
A weight category for relatively light contestants, especially in boxing and other combat sports.
Did you know?“Bantam” originally referred to small chickens associated with Bantam, a port in Java, before becoming a metaphor for a small but spirited person or thing.
Etymological Timeline
16th–17th Century
Malay/Dutch
Bantam
“A European rendering of Banten, a port and region on Java in present-day Indonesia.”
17th Century
English
bantam
“A small chicken breed associated in European usage with Bantam, Java.”
18th Century
English
bantam
“A small person or thing, often with an implication of compact energy or aggressiveness.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weǵʰ-
“To carry or transport; the ancient root connected with the later history of weight and movement.”
Old English
Old English
wiht
“Weight or heaviness.”
Late 19th Century
English
bantamweight
“A sporting weight category for competitors lighter than featherweights or other heavier divisions, depending on the rules.”
Modern English
English
bantamweight
“A light competitive weight class, especially in boxing, wrestling, and mixed martial arts.”