An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/binden

by Friedrich Kluge

binden, verb, ‘to tie, bind,’ from Middle High German binden, Old High German bintan, corresponds to Old Saxon and Anglo-Saxon bindan, English to bind, Gothic bindan; the meaning does not change, hence it was the same in primitively Teutonic as in Modern High German and English. The pre-Teutonic form of the root must have been bhendh; compare the corresponding Sanscrit root bandh, ‘to chain, fasten’; Latin (with f for bh initially) offendimentum, ‘bond, cable’; Greek πεῖσμα for *πένθσμα, ‘bond,’ also ‘father-in-law,’ as well as Sanscrit bándhu, ‘a relative.’ In Teutonic numerous forms are derived by gradation from the same root (e.g. Band, English bond, bend). Italian benda, ‘bandage,’ bendare, ‘to bind up,’ are borrowed.