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Where does the word "affirm" come from? It comes from Latin affirmare, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
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Where does the word "affirm" come from? It comes from Latin affirmare, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
Affirm’s story begins in Latin: affirmare meant “to strengthen, assert.” 'ad-' plus 'firmare', to make firm. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as afermer. A legal term for confirming a judgment or treaty. It reached English by 1300s as affirm. First recorded before 1325 in English statute law, borrowed from Anglo-Norman legal French; 'affirmative action' dates from the 1960s. Today, affirm means to state as a fact.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient affirmare "to strengthen, assert", 'ad-' plus 'firmare', to make firm.
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval afermer "to strengthen", a legal term for confirming a judgment or treaty.
- Stage 3 · English · 1300s affirm "to strengthen", first recorded before 1325 in English statute law, borrowed from Anglo-Norman legal French; 'affirmative action' dates from the 1960s.