An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/blenden
blenden, verb, ‘to blind,’ from the equivalent Middle High German blęnden, Old High German blęnten; compare Anglo-Saxon blęndan, whereas English has to blind based upon blind; factitive of blind. It is remarkable in connection with this word that an old form, *blandjan, as it would be written in Gothic, is derived by gradation from an adjective (blinds, Gothic); a strong verb blindan, ‘to be blind,’ has never existed. Blende, ‘blind, screen,’ first found in Modern High German, is a derivative of blenden.