'baste' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'bastir,' where 'bast-' meant 'to sew or build.'

'bastir' transformed into the Middle English word 'basten,' and eventually became the modern English word 'baste.'

Initially, it meant 'to sew or build,' but over time it evolved into its current meanings of 'pouring juices over meat' and 'sewing with loose stitches.'