English
guaranty
Guaranty comes from Old French guarantie ‘protection, defense’, from garantir ‘to warrant, vouch for something’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wer- ‘to close, cover, protect, save, defend’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wer-‘to close, cover, protect, save, defend’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*warjaną‘to defend, protect’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*warjan‘to fend for, designate something as true, vouch for’reconstructed
- Frankish, derivedc. 250–700*warandreconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400garant‘a warrant’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400garantir‘to warrant, vouch for something’next step skipped: Old French guarantir
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400guarantie‘protection, defense’
- Englishearliest quotation 1742guaranty
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wer-‘to close, cover, protect, save, defend’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*warjaną‘to defend, protect’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*warjan‘to fend for, designate something as true, vouch for’reconstructed
- Frankish, derivedc. 250–700*warandreconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400garant‘a warrant’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400garantir‘to warrant, vouch for something’next step skipped: Old French guarantir
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400guarantie‘protection, defense’
- Englishearliest quotation 1742guaranty
Earliest quotation: 1742, Samuel Johnson, The Works of Samuel Johnson: “His imperial majesty likewise guaranties to the king of…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wer- ‘to close, cover, protect, save, defend’
con, regard, reward, ward, guard, warn, worm, verge, optic, beware, ware, reverence, revere, panorama, vermin, wry, vermilion, prosaic, milliner, diorama, vermicelli, vermeil, vermiculite, varmint, 67 more
through Proto-Germanic *warjaną ‘to defend, protect’
through Frankish *warjan ‘to fend for, designate something as true,…’
through Frankish *warand
through Old French guarantie ‘protection, defense’
Today it means
noun An undertaking to answer for the payment of some debt, or the performance of some contract or duty, of another, in case of the failure of such other to pay or perform; a warranty; a security.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wer- / guaranty