verifico

Forms

vērificō (present infinitive vērificāre, perfect active vērificāvī, supine vērificātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin vērus (“true”) + -ficō (“making”).^[2][3] The adjective goes back to Proto-Italic *wēro- and Proto-Indo-European *ueh₁-ro- (“true”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Boethius' translation of Aristotle's Topics, meaning to present something as true.^[5][6][7]

Semantic evolution

In Medieval Latin it meant to prove or establish the truth of something,^[8][2] in philosophers such as Bacon and Ockham.^[2] In English law it was the usual word for averring a plea, offering to prove it by a jury or by the record of the court rolls.^[2][1] Neo-Latin commentaries on Dante and Seneca use it for confirming a statement.^[9]

English verify came in the early 14th century through Old French from the Medieval Latin verb.^[3]

Timeline

• 1239–1256 – Bracton uses it of offering to prove a plea.^[2][10]
• 1290 – A party offers to prove a claim by the record of the rolls or by twelve jurors.^[2]
• early 14th century – English borrows it, through Old French, as verify.^[3]
• first half of the 14th century – Ockham uses it in logic.^[2][10]

Meanings

Verb

1. (Late Latin) To present as true.^[5][6][8][1]
2. (Medieval Latin) To verify, establish or prove the truth of.^{[8][2][11][1]}
3. (Medieval Latin, law) To aver, prove a plea by jury or by record.^[2][1]
4. (New Latin) To confirm, bear out.^[9]

Related words

• vērificātiō
• English verify

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ VoLat: Vocabolario della Lingua Latina (2018), Milan: Hoepli
8. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
10. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
11. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson