Etymology
1. 1412, "one who keeps watch," from M.Fr.
garde "guardian, warden, keeper," from
garder "to guard," from O.Fr.
guarder (corresponding to O.N.Fr.
warder, see gu-), from Frank.
*wardon, from P.Gmc.
*wardo- (see ward (v.)). Abstract or collective sense of "a keeping, a custody" (as in
bodyguard) is from 1426. Sword-play and boxing sense is from 1596. The verb is first recorded 1583, from the noun.
Guarded "reserved and cautious in speech, behavior, etc." is from 1728.
Guardian (c.1330) is from Anglo-Fr.
gardein, from O.Fr.
gardien, earlier
guarden, from Frank.
*warding-.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *wer-
4. Proto-Indo-European *wor-tús
5. Proto-Germanic *warduz
6. Proto-Germanic *-āną
7. Proto-Germanic *wardō
8. Proto-Germanic *-āną
9. Proto-Germanic *wardāną
10. Frankish *wardēnbor.
11. Early Medieval Latin wardō
12. Old French guarder
13. Middle French garderder.
14. ▲
15. Old French guarderder.
16. English guard
17. From early Middle French garder or late Old French (circa 14th cent) guarder (“to keep, ward, guard, save, preserve, etc.”), from Early Medieval Latin wardo, from Frankish *wardēn, from Proto-Germanic *wardāną (“to guard, protect”). Cognate with French garder, Old English weardian (whence also the English inherited doublet ward). See also English regard. See: Middle French '
garder', Proto-Germanic '
*wardāną', French '
garder', Old English '
weardian', English '
regard'.
Verbs referencing "guard"
English
warden, French
garder, Zulu
gada.