Regard
Middle English: from Old French regarder ‘to watch’, from re- ‘back’ (also expressing intensive force) + garder ‘to guard’.
wiktionary
From Middle English regard, regarde, reguard, from Anglo-Norman reguard, from regarder, reguarder. Attested in Middle English starting around the mid 14th century. Compare guard, reward, guardian, and so on.
From Middle English regarden, from Old French regarder, reguarder. First attested in late Middle English, circa the early 15th century.
etymonline
regard (n.)
mid-14c., "a consideration; a judgment," from Old French regard, regart, from regarder "take notice of," from re-, here perhaps an intensive prefix, + garder "look, heed," from a Germanic language (see guard (n.)).
Meanings "a look, appearance; respect, esteem, favor, kindly feeling which springs from a consideration of estimable qualities" all are recorded late 14c. Phrase in regard to is from mid-15c. (Chaucer uses at regard of).
regard (v.)
mid-14c., regarden, "consider" (that something is so or a certain way), from Old French regarder "to look at, take notice of," from re-, here perhaps an intensive prefix, + garder "look, heed," from a Germanic language (see guard (n.)).
Sense of "consider of importance or interest" is from 1510s. Meaning "look upon, observe" is from 1520s, as is that of "observe a certain respect toward." From 1610s as "look upon" (with a certain feeling), "have or show a certain feeling for." Related: Regarded; regarding.
