guarantee English · revision 5271

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1679|origins=frk *warjand}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˌɡær.ənˈtiː/, US /ˌɡer.ənˈtiː/, /ˌɡær.ənˈtiː/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is an alteration of earlier garrant “a warranty that a title to property is true” (about 1436),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) perhaps through Spanish garante,^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998)^(Cresswell 2021) later influenced by French garantie and by legal words in -ee such as assignee.^(NODE 1998)^(MWU 2024)^(Etymonline) Old French garant “defender, protector, warranty” is from Frankish,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from Proto-Germanic *war- “to warn, guard”, from [[ine-pro|*wer-|t=to cover]].^(Etymonline) It is a doublet of [[warrant]] and [[guaranty]].^(Cresswell 2021)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A person who gives a security: 1679 in the OED and Barnhart, the 1670s in Etymonline, 1680 in MWU.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The act of guaranteeing is from 1786,^(OED 1989) and the pledge itself, properly a ''guaranty'', from the 18th century,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) with something given as a security from 1832.^(OED 1989) The two forms are still confused.^(Barnhart 1988) The person to whom a guaranty is given is from 1853.^(OED 1989) The verb, to be a surety for, is from 1791,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) and to promise that something will happen from 1820.^(OED 1989) Middle English already had garanten “to give a warranty” from about 1410.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1679 – a guarantor.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1786 – the act of guaranteeing.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1791 – verb.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1820 – to promise.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1832 – a security given.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A formal promise that something will be done or will happen.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A written promise from a maker to repair or replace a faulty product; a [[warranty]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Something that makes an outcome certain.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A promise to pay someone's debt if they do not.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To promise that something will happen or be done.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To promise that a product will be repaired or replaced if faulty.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To accept responsibility for someone else's debt.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[nonguarantee]]

+ * [[reguarantee]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[guaranty]]

+ * [[guarantor]]

+ * [[warrant]]

+ * [[warranty]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}