offhold

The story

1. Old English · inherited fromofhealdan“to withhold, retain”
2. Middle English · inherited fromofholden
3. English todayoffhold

From Middle English ofholden, from Old English ofhealdan (“to withhold, retain”), equivalent to off- + hold. Cognate with Dutch afhouden (“to detain, deter”), German abhalten (“to discourage, prevent, deter”).