warranty

Where does the word "warranty" come from? It comes from Frankish warjan, passing through Old North French before entering English (1300s).

Warranty’s story begins in Frankish: warjan meant “to protect, to guard.” To protect, to guard, a Germanic root of the Franks. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old North French as warantie. Adapted from Frankish for a formal guarantee of quality or condition. It reached English by 1300s as warranty. Settled as the English word for a written guarantee of a product's quality. Today, warranty means a written guarantee promising to repair or replace a product if needed.

1. Stage 1 · Frankish · medieval warjan "to protect, to guard", to protect, to guard, a Germanic root of the Franks.
2. Stage 2 · Old North French · medieval warantie "a formal guarantee of quality or condition", adapted from Frankish for a formal guarantee of quality or condition.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s warranty "a written guarantee of a product's quality or condition", settled as the English word for a written guarantee of a product's quality.