Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “affirm” come from?

Affirm comes from Middle English affirmen, from Old French afermer, from Latin affirmare, meaning to make firm or strengthen, from ad- plus a root meaning to hold or support.

affirm (English): To agree, verify or concur; to answer positively;...

Definitions

  1. To agree, verify or concur; to answer positively;...

Ancestry of “affirm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishaffermen—
2Old Frenchafermer—
3Latinaffirmāre—

Words derived from “affirm”

  • affirming
  • reaffirm
  • disaffirm
  • affirmer
  • affirmeth
  • affirmable
  • disaffirmation
  • affirmability
  • affirmest
  • unaffirmable
  • affirmably
  • misaffirm
Every word from Latin affirmāre →