An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/binden

by Friedrich Kluge

binden, vb., ‘to tie, bind,’ from MidHG. binden, OHG. bintan, corresponds to OSax. and AS. bindan, E. to bind, Goth. bindan; the meaning does not change, hence it was the same in primit. Teut. as in ModHG. and Eng. The pre-Teut. form of the root must have been bhendh; comp. the corresponding Sans. root bandh, ‘to chain, fasten’; Lat. (with f for bh initially) offendimentum, ‘bond, cable’; Gr. πεῖσμα for *πένθσμα, ‘bond,’ also ‘father-in-law,’ as well as Sans. bándhu, ‘a relative.’ In Teut. numerous forms are derived by gradation from the same root (e.g. Band, E. bond, bend). Ital. benda, ‘bandage,’ bendare, ‘to bind up,’ are borrowed.