Etymology Map
Back to all words

Affirm

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to state as a fact

Where does the word "affirm" come from? It comes from Latin affirmare, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
affirmare
Latin · ancient
"to strengthen, assert"
'ad-' plus 'firmare', to make firm
2
Stage 2 of 3
afermer
Old French · medieval
"to strengthen"
a legal term for confirming a judgment or treaty
3
Stage 3 of 3
affirm
English · 1300s
"to strengthen"
first recorded before 1325 in English statute law, borrowed from Anglo-Norman legal French; 'affirmative action' dates from the 1960s
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

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.