fend
/fɛnd/
verb
Origin
Latin
defendere — to strike down, to ward off, to defend
Overview
Meaning Now
- To look after oneself; to provide for one's own needs without external help.
- To ward off or defend against an attack or unwelcome person or thing.
Literal older meaning
to defend, protect
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
fenden
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word 'fend' is a classic example of aphesis, where an unstressed initial syllable (in this case 'de-') is lost over time. It emerged as a colloquial or clipped variant of 'defend' in Middle English, eventually becoming a distinct word with a specialized sense focused on survival and resourcefulness.
Evolution
- Latin
defendere
“to defend”
Base verb formed from de- (away) + -fendere (to strike).
- Old French
defendre
“to forbid, defend, protect”
- Middle English
fenden
“to defend, to protect oneself”
Apheretic form of 'defenden'.
- Modern English
fend
“to provide for oneself, to ward off”
Connections
Word parts
fend
root
to strike or defend
Related across languages
French
défendre
to defend or forbid
Spanish
defender
to defend
Related words
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Related to fend
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.