'bacchantes' originates from French, specifically the word 'bacchante', which ultimately derives from classical Latin and Greek related to 'Bacchus' (the Roman name for the Greek god of wine, Dionysus).

'bacchantes' changed from Greek 'Bakkhantes' (Βάκχαι/Βάκχαις), passed into Latin as 'Bacchantes' and via Old French/French 'bacchante' it entered modern English as 'bacchante' with the plural 'bacchantes'.

Initially, it meant 'female followers of Bacchus' (in a religious/mythological sense); over time it also acquired the broader sense of 'women given to drunken or orgiastic revelry' used in literary and figurative contexts.