assecuro

Forms

assecuro (present infinitive assecurare, perfect active assecuravi, supine assecuratum); first conjugation^[1] Spellings include adsecuro, asecuro and assicuro.^[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin ad- + sēcūrus (“free from care, safe”).^[1][3][4] The MLW compares Italian assicurare and French assurer.^[1]

English assure comes from Old French asseurer.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The MLW's earliest citation is from Hugo of Farfa, around 1020, who wanted to give certain people a guarantee about the castle of Tribuco.^[1][6]

Semantic evolution

It began as a word of medieval law and politics: to promise on oath, in a peace treaty, to refrain from harming someone, to guarantee that another would do the same, and, in the oath of fidelity, to promise a feudal lord not to harm his person, property or honour.^[7][1] From this came the senses “give a safe-conduct” to a traveller and “guarantee, warrant” a statement or a payment.^[1][4][2]

More generally it meant to make someone sure or free from worry, and, reflexively, to feel sure or trust.^[1][8] In Poland it was used of securing a sum of money on landed property.^[4] Falconers used it of taming hawks.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 1020 – Hugo of Farfa uses it of a guarantee about a castle.^[1][6]
• 1174 – An Anglo-Scottish convention says the king of Scots and his barons gave their assurance.^[3]
• 1263 – A Croatian charter uses it of sending someone to the Roman curia with a sworn promise.^[2]
• 1296 – A Greater Polish charter assures a friend that he may enter their lands without fear.^[4]
• late 14th century – English has assure, from Old French.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. (Medieval Latin, law) To promise on oath, in a treaty of peace, to refrain from all hostility against someone.^[7][1]
2. (Medieval Latin, law) To guarantee that another person will refrain from hostility.^[7]
3. (Medieval Latin, feudal law) To promise a lord not to harm his person, property or honour, as part of the oath of fidelity.^[7][1]
4. (Medieval Latin) To give a safe-conduct to.^[1][4]
5. (Medieval Latin) To guarantee, warrant; to assure someone of something.^[1][3][2]
6. (Medieval Latin) To make safe, secure.^[1][8]
7. (Medieval Latin, reflexive) To pledge oneself; to feel sure, trust.^[3][1]
8. (Medieval Latin) To prove, attest.^[2]
9. (Medieval Latin, finance) To secure money on landed property.^[4]

Related words

• sēcūrus
• English assure

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
2. ^ a b c d e Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
3. ^ a b c d Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e f Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences