Why this word is great
FORFEND — [Verb] To prohibit or avert something, especially through protective or preventive measures. From Middle English forfenden ("to ward off, protect, prohibit"), combining for- (intensive prefix) + fend ("to ward off"). Unlike "prevent" (which broadly stops any occurrence) or "forbid" (which flatly prohibits), "forfend" carries the weight of an older, more solemn guardianship—a word whispered against the dark. It is the hand raised to shield a candle from the wind, the iron charm hung above a cradle, or the muttered prayer against calamity that lingers in the air like woodsmoke. Some words do not merely describe action; they are themselves talismans.