Etymology

bend

B3E1N1D2

Today it means: To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means. Full definition →

Middle English benden ← Old English bendan ← Proto-West Germanic *bandijan
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bend · verb, noun1

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰendʰ-
  2. Proto-Germanic*bindaną
  3. Proto-Germanic*bandijaną
  4. Proto-West Germanic*bandijan
  5. Old Englishbendan
  6. Middle Englishbenden
  7. English todaybend

From Middle English benden, from Old English bendan (“to bind or bend (a bow), fetter, restrain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bandijan, from Proto-Germanic *bandijaną (“to bend”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to bind, tie”). Cognate with Middle High German benden (“to fetter”), Danish bænde (“to bend”), Norwegian bende (“to bend”), Faroese benda (“to bend, inflect”), Icelandic benda (“to bend”). Related to bind, band, bond.

Bend · proper noun2

Most places get their name from bends in rivers.

Words from the same roots

Proto-Indo-European*bʰendʰ- all →

bandbondbonnetbandanadisbandantipathyboosesprachbund

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.