To make a bastard doesn't necessarily have to refer to people. Giving a legitimate word a new meaning could be
bastardising the word. Basically, it's butchering the English language. See
orphaned. If you have an idea, and someone takes the idea, changes it around and gives it new meaning, that's bastardising. If you design a
newsletter, for instance, and someone else takes over and keeps part of your design but applies elements that don't match up with yours, that's bastardising. You get the drift.
Henry, how do you like the
newsletter now that
Sue's been doing it for a year?
I'd like it better if she hadn't
bastardised my design.
Well, how do you like urbandictionary.com?
Half the people putting stuff up there just bastardise the language.