Dungbred

/ˈdʌŋbrɛd/ adjective

Definition

Bred or raised in or around dung heaps; of low or inferior breeding or origin (historical or derogatory usage).

Etymology

From 'dung' (Old English dung) + 'bred' (past participle of 'breed'). Historically used as an insult implying base or ignoble origins, reflecting medieval and early modern class attitudes.

Kelly Says

This word reveals how class prejudice got baked into language itself—equating humble origins with foul things, which tells us more about the insecurities of people who wrote dictionaries than about the actual worth of working people.

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