Etymology

bond

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Today it means: A document constituting evidence of a long-term debt, by which the bond issuer (the borrower) is obliged to pay interest when due, and repay the principal at maturity, as specified on the face of the bond certificate. The rights of the holder are specified in the bond indenture, which contains the legal terms and conditions under which the bond was issued. Bonds are available in two forms: registered bonds, and bearer bonds. Full definition →

Middle English bond ← Old English beand ← Proto-Germanic *bandaz
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bond · noun1

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰendʰ-“to tie; bond, band”
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*bandaz
  3. Old English · inherited frombeand
  4. Middle English · inherited frombond
  5. English todaybond

From Middle English bond, a variant of band, from Old English beand, bænd, bend (“bond, chain, fetter, band, ribbon, ornament, chaplet, crown”), from Proto-Germanic *bandaz, *bandiz (“band, fetter”)، from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to tie; bond, band”). Cognate with Dutch band, German Band, Swedish band. Doublet of Bund. Related to bind.

bond · verb2

  1. Middle English · inherited frombonden
  2. Middle English · inherited frombonden
  3. English todaybond

Inherited from Middle English bonden.

bond · noun, adjective3

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰuH-“to become, grow, appear”
  2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*būwandz“dweller”
  3. Old English · derived frombūend“dweller, inhabitant”
  4. Old Norse · derived frombóndi“husbandman, householder”
  5. Old English · inherited frombōnda
  6. Middle English · inherited frombonde“peasant, servant, bondman”
  7. English todaybond

From Middle English bonde (“peasant, servant, bondman”), from Old English bōnda, būnda (“householder, freeman, plebeian, husband”), perhaps from Old Norse bóndi (“husbandman, householder”, literally “dweller”), or a contraction of Old English būend (“dweller, inhabitant”), both from Proto-Germanic *būwandz (“dweller”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to become, grow, appear”). See also bower, boor.

Bond · proper noun4

  1. Old Norse · derived frombóndi“peasant, farmer”
  2. English todayBond

* As an English occupational surname, from the noun bond, bondman, reinforced by Old Norse bóndi (“peasant, farmer”). Also as a variant of Band. * As a Swedish surname, variant of Bonde. * As a Ukrainian surname, shortened from Bondarenko. * As a Dutch surname, variant of Bont, from bont (“speckled, motley”), compare Bonte.

Words from the same roots

Middle Englishbond all →

bondage

Old Englishbeand all →

band

Proto-Indo-European*bʰendʰ- all →

bandbendbonnetbandanadisbandantipathyboosesprachbund

Old Englishbōnda all →

bondage

Proto-Indo-European*bʰuH- all →

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Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.