Etymology Map
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Defend

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to protect from harm

Where does the word "defend" come from? It comes from Latin defendere, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
defendere
Latin · ancient
"to ward off"
'de-', away, plus '-fendere', to strike
2
Stage 2 of 3
defendre
Old French · medieval
"to protect"
'fence' is a shortened form of 'defence'
3
Stage 3 of 3
defend
English · 1200s
"to protect"
sports sense came in the 1800s
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Read the full story

Defend’s story begins in Latin: defendere meant “to ward off.” 'de-', away, plus '-fendere', to strike. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as defendre. 'fence' is a shortened form of 'defence'. It reached English by 1200s as defend. Sports sense came in the 1800s. Today, defend means to protect from harm.