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Origin and history of bachelor

bachelor(n.)

c. 1300, "young man;" also "youthful knight, novice in arms," from Old French bacheler, bachelor, bachelier (11c.) "knight bachelor," a young squire in training for knighthood, also "young man; unmarried man," and a university title. A word of uncertain origin.

Perhaps it is from Medieval Latin baccalarius "vassal farmer, adult serf without a landholding," one who helps or tends a baccalaria "field or land in the lord's demesne" (according to old French sources, perhaps from an alteration of vacca "a cow" and originally "grazing land" [Kitchin]).

But Wedgwood points out that the baccalarii "were reckoned as rustici, and were bound to certain duty work for their lord. There is no appearance in the passages cited of their having had any military character whatever." (He favored a Celtic origin). Or perhaps it is from Latin baculum "a stick," because the squire would practice with a staff, not a sword. "Perhaps several independent words have become confused in form" [Century Dictionary].

The meaning in English expanded by early 14c. to "young unmarried man" and by late 14c. to "one who has taken the lowest degree in a university." Bachelor party as a pre-wedding ritual is by 1882.

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to bachelor

A.B.

affixed to a name, abbreviation of Modern Latin Artium Baccalaureus "Bachelor of Arts" (see bachelor), 1773, American English. British English preferred B.A., perhaps because A.B. was used in Britain to mean able-bodied on seamen's papers.

baccalaureate(n.)

1620s, "university degree of a bachelor," from Modern Latin baccalaureatus, from baccalaureus "student with the first degree," an alteration of Medieval Latin baccalarius "one who has attained the lowest degree in a university, an advanced student lecturing under his master's supervision but not yet having personal licence."

The Medieval Latin word is of uncertain origin; it likely has been altered by folk etymology or word-play, as if from bacca lauri "laurel berry" (laurels being awarded for academic success). Perhaps it is ultimately from Latin baculum "staff" (see bacillus), which the young student might carry. Or it might be a re-Latinization of bachelor in its academic sense.

In modern U.S. usage, baccalaureate usually is a shortening of baccalaureate sermon (1864), a religious farewell address to a graduating class at an American college. This is from the word's adjectival sense of "pertaining to the university degree of bachelor."

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