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Origin and history of ward

ward(n.)

Middle English ward "keeping, care, safekeeping," also "control, rule, proper preservation," from Old English weard "a guarding, protection; watchman, sentry, keeper," from Proto-Germanic *wardaz "guard" (source also of Old Saxon ward, Old Norse vörðr, Old High German wart), from suffixed form of PIE root *wer- (3) "perceive, watch out for." A doublet of guard (n.); for the consonant see gu-. Paired with watch (n.) from late 14c. Related: Wardship.

The meaning "minor under control of a guardian" is from early 15c. In reference to administrative districts of a town or city from late 14c., at first with a notion of guardianship, "a division of the people under a particular leader or guardian." Of hospital divisions from 1749.

The political ward-heeler is by 1873, American English, from heeler "loafer, one on the lookout for shady work" (1870s).

ward(v.)

Middle English warden, from Old English weardian "keep guard, watch, protect, preserve," from Proto-Germanic *wardon "to guard" (source also of Old Saxon wardon, Old Norse varða "to guard," Old Frisian wardia, Middle Dutch waerden "to take care of," Old High German warten "to guard, look out for, expect," German warten "to wait, wait on, nurse, tend"), from suffixed form of PIE root *wer- (3) "perceive, watch out for."

French garder, Italian guardare, Spanish guardar are Germanic loan-words. Also in Middle English from Old North French warder, variant of Old French garder. The meaning "to parry, to fend off, repel" (now usually with off) is recorded from 1570s. Related: Warded; warding.

Entries linking to ward

guard(n.)

early 15c., "one who keeps watch, a body of soldiers," also "care, custody, guardianship," and the name of a part of a piece of armor, from French garde "guardian, warden, keeper; watching, keeping, custody," from Old French garder "to keep, maintain, preserve, protect" (see guard (v.)). Abstract or collective sense of "a keeping, a custody" (as in bodyguard) also is from early 15c. Sword-play and fisticuffs sense is from 1590s; hence to be on guard (1640s) or off (one's) guard (1680s). As a football position, from 1889. Guard-rail attested from 1860, originally on railroad tracks and running beside the rail on the outside; the guide-rail running between the rails.

heeler(n.)

1660s, "one who puts heels on shoes and boots," agent noun from heel (n.1). Meaning "unscrupulous political lackey" is U.S. slang from 1877. The notion is of one who follows at the heels of a political boss, and it likely was coined with the image of a dog in mind. See heel (v.1).