reward

reward · noun¹

1. Old French · derived fromreward“reward”
2. Middle English · inherited fromreward
3. English todayreward

From Middle English reward, rewarde, from Old French reward (“reward”) (compare Old French regard, whence modern French regard, and also English regard through Middle French), from rewarder (“to reward”) (compare Old French reguarder), from re- + warder (“to guard, keep”) (compare Old French guarder); the Anglo-Norman forms are derived from Old Northern French variants of Old French, ultimately of Germanic (Frankish) origin. Compare regard, warden, guard. See more below. Mostly displaced Old English mēd, whence Modern English meed. Displaced Old English lēan and edlēan.

reward · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*wer-“to cover, shelter, defend, guard, shut”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*wardōną“to guard, defend”
3. Frankish · derived from*wardōn“to guard, keep”
4. Old Northern French · derived from[Term?]
5. Anglo-Norman · derived fromrewarder“to reward”
6. Middle English · inherited fromrewarden
7. English todayreward

From Middle English rewarden, from Anglo-Norman rewarder (“to reward”), from re- + warder (“to guard, keep”), from Old Northern French [Term?], from Frankish *wardōn (“to guard, keep”), from Proto-Germanic *wardōną (“to guard, defend”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to cover, shelter, defend, guard, shut”). Cognate with Old Saxon wardōn (“to guard, provide for, protect”), Old English weardian (“to guard”), Old High German wartēn (“to watch, keep, look after”). More at ward. Piecewise doublet of regard. Displaced Old English lēanian. In this sense, displaced Old English ġieldan, whence Modern English yield.

Words from the same roots