dastard - n., a sneaking, malicious coward.
From Middle English, probably an alteration of Old Norse dæstr, exhausted, from the past participle of dæsa, to languish, decay, making it a cognate of daze. Says nothing about the parentage of the person. Note, btw, Shakespeare's spelling dashtard.
---L.
From Middle English, probably an alteration of Old Norse dæstr, exhausted, from the past participle of dæsa, to languish, decay, making it a cognate of daze. Says nothing about the parentage of the person. Note, btw, Shakespeare's spelling dashtard.
---L.