DictionaryRoot: bandon
Old French
bandon
power, jurisdiction
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verb
abandon
uh-BAN-duhn/əˈbændən/
To leave something behind and cease supporting or pursuing it.
Etymology
Old French à bandon meant “at will” or “at discretion,” carrying the idea of putting something under another’s control. Giving up control developed into relinquishing something entirely, then leaving or forsaking it.