bastard eigne

[ eyn ]

noun

, Old English Law.

1. the firstborn illegitimate son of parents whose second son was legitimate.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bastard eigne¹

First recorded in 1580–90; eigne, from Anglo-French: “elder,” Old French ainsné ( ainz “before,” from unattested Vulgar Latin antius, for Latin anteā + né “born”); né )