English
confirmation
Confirmation comes from Latin cōnfirmātiō ‘confirmation, verification’, from firmō ‘to firm or strengthen’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- ‘to support’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰer-‘to support’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰermosreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θermosreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fermosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfirmus‘stable, firm’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfirmōas firmāre‘to firm or strengthen’next step skipped: Latin cōnfirmō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnfirmātus‘confirmed’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnfirmātiō‘confirmation, verification’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400confirmacion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500confirmacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1977confirmation
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰer-‘to support’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰermosreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θermosreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fermosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfirmus‘stable, firm’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfirmōas firmāre‘to firm or strengthen’next step skipped: Latin cōnfirmō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnfirmātus‘confirmed’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnfirmātiō‘confirmation, verification’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400confirmacion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500confirmacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1977confirmation
Earliest quotation: 1977, Only the Good Die Young: “You got a nice white dress / and a…”
Formed from confirm + -ation
Latin firmus ‘firm’
Latin firmō ‘to make firm’
Latin cōnfirmō ‘to strengthen, establish’
Old French confermer
Middle English confirmen
English confirm
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- ‘to support’
dark, drug, dry, drama, dare, drain, throne, drone, feasible, refrain, darn, formidable, drastic, dazed, dharma, dor, dern, 37 more
through Latin firmus ‘stable, firm’
affirmative, affirming, infirmary, affirmation, firmament, infirm, 6 more
through Latin firmō ‘to firm or strengthen’
Today it means
noun An official indicator that things will happen as planned.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- / confirmation