English
confirm
Confirm comes from Middle English confirmen, from Old French confermer, from Latin cōnfirmō ‘to strengthen’, from firmō, from firmus ‘firm’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfirmus‘firm’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfirmō‘to make firm’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnfirmō‘to strengthen, establish’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400confermer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500confirmen
- Englishearliest quotation 1886confirm
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfirmus‘firm’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfirmō‘to make firm’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnfirmō‘to strengthen, establish’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400confermer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500confirmen
- Englishearliest quotation 1886confirm
Earliest quotation: 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Folk and Fairy Tales: “She pulled through with the boy till he was…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- ‘to support’
dark, drug, dry, drama, dare, drain, throne, drone, feasible, drastic, refrain, darn, formidable, dazed, dharma, dor, dern, 38 more
through Latin firmus ‘firm’
affirmative, infirmary, affirmation, affirming, firmament, infirm, 7 more
Today it means
verb To strengthen; to make firm or resolute.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin firmus / confirm