Gives up completely; deserts or leaves someone or something behind, typically permanently.
From Old French 'abandoner,' literally meaning 'to put under someone's control' (à + bandon). The word originally implied surrendering authority, but by the 14th century had evolved to mean giving up or leaving behind completely.
The word originally meant the opposite of desertion—it meant placing something under someone else's care or control. This dramatic shift from 'entrusting' to 'deserting' shows how language can completely reverse meaning over centuries while keeping the same form.
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