Past tense of fend; to have warded off, defended against, or pushed away something threatening.
From Old English 'fandian' (to defend), shortened to 'fend' in Middle English. The past tense adds '-ed,' the standard marker of completed action in English verbs.
The phrase 'fend for yourself' became popular during the Great Depression and still means surviving independently—showing how a sword-fighting word transformed into survival advice.
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