'bent' (past participle/adjective) ultimately originates from Old English, from verbs like 'bendan'/'bendan' (to bend) and related Germanic roots meaning 'to curve or incline.'

'bent' developed from Old English verb forms (for bend) and past participles in Middle English; the noun sense 'inclination' arose from the idea of being 'bent' (i.e. inclined) and the grassy-slope sense comes from regional/older uses for certain types of grass or turf.

Initially related to the physical action 'to curve' or the state 'curved,' it evolved to a figurative meaning 'inclination, tendency, talent' and also acquired a regional sense referring to certain grassy places or grasses.