Etymologically
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confirmo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word confirmo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (firmus)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kõːˈfɪr.moː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [koɱˈfir.mo][1]

Forms

cōnfirmō (present infinitive cōnfirmāre, perfect active cōnfirmāvī, supine cōnfirmātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from con- and firmō “to strengthen”, from firmus “firm”.[2][1][3] The TLL notes the old long ⟨ī⟩ of ⟨fīrmō⟩.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of reassuring and of ratifying.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to strengthen the body, as in the Rhetorica ad Herennium, and in Seneca the mind, to mature, and to make firm a structure, as Caesar's stakes.[2][5] From Plautus it meant to reassure, encourage, and in Cicero to confirm someone in loyalty, strengthen a military position, an authority or a state of affairs.[2] It meant to support or prove an argument, to corroborate a statement, and in Plautus to ratify an agreement officially, and to assert, affirm.[2] The TLL calls it especially Ciceronian.[3]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to strengthen, confirm, uphold.[6] Through Old French confermer it gave English confirm in the mid-13th century, “to ratify, sanction”.[7] It survives in Italian confermare and Spanish confirmar.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of reassuring and ratifying.[2][4]
  • 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it of strengthening the body.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of proving and confirming.[2][4]
  • mid-13th century – English confirm is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To strengthen; to mature.[2]
  2. To make firm.[2]
  3. To reassure, encourage.[2]
  4. To strengthen a position or authority; to establish.[2]
  5. To prove; to corroborate.[2]
  6. To ratify, confirm.[2]
  7. To assert, affirm.[2]

Word family

  • cōnfirmātiō
  • confirmatiuus
  • cōnfīrmātor
  • confirmatrix
  • confirmitās
  • cōnfirmātē
  • cōnfirmātus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Confirmo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/confirmo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·