Where does “warrant” come from?
Warrant comes from Anglo-Norman warrant, a word of uncertain ultimate origin whose earliest sense remains unknown.
warrant (English): Authorization or certification; a sanction, as...
Definitions
- Authorization or certification; a sanction, as...
Ancestry of “warrant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | warant | protector; guard, shield, protection |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman French | warrant | — |
| 3 | Frankish | warand | a warrant |
| 4 | Frankish | warjan | to fend off; to stop, thwart; to fend for,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | waʀjan | to clothe |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | warjaną | to ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |