Bastinado
/ˌbæs.tɪˈneɪ.doʊ/noun
A form of corporal punishment involving blows, traditionally delivered to the soles of the feet with a stick.
Did you know?Bastinado was especially associated with penal and military discipline in parts of the Ottoman Empire and Asia, where striking the feet could inflict intense pain without immediately disabling the victim.
Etymological Timeline
Latin, Late Antiquity
Latin
bastum
“A stick, staff, or cudgel; the precise deeper origin is uncertain.”
Medieval Spanish
Spanish
bastón
“A staff or stick, ultimately associated with the Latin word for a stick or cudgel.”
16th Century
Spanish
bastinar
“To beat with a stick or cane.”
Late 16th Century
Spanish
bastinado
“Beaten with a stick; the past-participial form used as a noun for the punishment.”
1590s
English
bastinado
“A punishment involving beating, especially on the soles of the feet.”
Modern English
English
bastinado
“Corporal punishment by beating the feet with a stick or similar instrument.”
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