c. 1300, conduyt, "conduct, guidance, an escorting party" (a sense now obsolete in this word but preserved in its doublet, conduct), from Old French conduit (12c.) "escort, protection; pipe, channel," from Latin conductus "a leading, a pipe," noun use of past participle of conducere "to lead or bring together; contribute, serve," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + ducere "to lead" (from PIE root *deuk-...

Middle English conduyt, condyt, cundyte "channel or pipe for conveying water, act of escorting for protection" borrowed from Anglo-French conduit, condet "channel for water, guide, escort party," (also continental Old French), noun derivative from conduit, past participle of conduire "to guide, escort," going back to Latin condūcere "to bring together, join, hire, accept a contract for" (Medieval Latin also "to lead, escort,...