bound English · revision 5017

+ English bound has four separate sources: the past participle of [[bind]], an Old Norse word for “ready”, an Old French word for a boundary, and a French verb meaning “to leap”.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /baʊnd/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|tied}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1300|origins=en bind}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a shortening of [[bounden]], the past participle of [[bind]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Obliged or compelled: the mid-14th century in Etymonline, in the fuller form bounden from about 1300.^(Etymonline) Barnhart dates bound before 1449 and bounde probably before 1300.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Under obligation is from the late 15th century,^(Etymonline) and the literal sense, made fast by tying, is from 1552 in the OED, the 1550s in Etymonline.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) In grammar, of an element that occurs only together with others, it is from 1926.^(Etymonline) It forms compounds such as ''storm-bound'' (1830).^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1300 – bounden, obliged.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1382 – kept fast in prison.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1552 – tied, fastened.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1926 – grammar, a bound form.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Tied or fastened with a rope or chain.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Certain to do something: ''bound to happen''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Obliged by duty or law to do something.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of a book, having a cover.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ {{homograph|2|heading for}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1200|origins=non búinn}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|boun|t=ready]],^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) [[bor|non|búinn]], the past participle of búa “to prepare, dwell”,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(Cresswell 2021) from [[ine-pro|*bʰew-|alt=*bheue-|t=to be, exist, grow]].^(Etymonline) The final -d, usual after the mid-16th century, is probably from association with bound “tied”.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(Etymonline) It is related to [[bower]].^(Hoad 1986)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Ready, prepared: about 1200 in the OED and Etymonline.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Prepared or intending to go, heading somewhere, is from about 1400.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) It is used as a suffix in words such as ''homebound'' and ''northbound''.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1200 – ready.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1400 – going, destined for a place.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Travelling towards a place: ''bound for London''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Ready or prepared.^(AHD)

+

+ {{homograph|3|limit}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1205|origins=la-med bodina}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|bounde]], [[bor|xno|bounde]], from Old French bodne, bonne, borne,^(MWU 2024)^(Hoad 1986) from Medieval Latin bodina, earlier butina, of unknown origin.^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) Barnhart suggests it may be Gaulish.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A landmark marking the limit of an estate: about 1205 in the OED, probably before 1300 in Barnhart.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A boundary line, or a limit in general, is from 1387 (about 1380 in Chaucer's Boethius in Barnhart).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988) Land near a boundary, a border territory, is from 1340.^(OED 1989) A limit of anything immaterial, as of duty or law, is from 1393.^(OED 1989) The limit beyond which soldiers or students may not go, as in ''out of bounds'', is from 1681.^(OED 1989) The verb, to set bounds to, is from 1391–3,^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) while “to form the boundary of” dates from 1601.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1205 – a landmark.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1340 – border land.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1387 – a boundary, limit.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1393 – verb, to limit.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1681 – ''out of bounds''.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A limit or [[boundary]], usually in the plural ''bounds''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To form the boundary of something.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To set limits to something.^(AHD)

+

+ {{homograph|4|leap}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=a. 1553|origins=la bombus}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|frm|bondir|t=to rebound, leap]], from Old French bondir “to resound”,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(Etymonline) from Vulgar Latin *bombitīre, from Late Latin bombitāre “to buzz”, from Latin bombus “a buzzing or booming sound”.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) It is related to [[bomb]].^(Cresswell 2021)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The noun, a leap, is recorded before 1553 in Udall's Ralph Roister Doister, about 35 years before the verb.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The verb, to make a horse leap, is from 1586,^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988) to spring upwards or move by leaps from 1592,^(OED 1989) and to recoil or rebound from 1593, now obsolete.^(OED 1989) The Old French verb first meant to make a noise, sound a horn, and only later to rebound and leap.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * a. 1553 – noun, a leap.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1586 – verb.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1592 – to spring, move in leaps.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To move along with long [[leap]]s.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To bounce back after hitting a surface.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A leap or [[jump]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bind]]

+ * [[bounden]]

+ * [[boundary]]

+ * [[bower]]

+ * [[bomb]]

+ * [[abound]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}