Affiance
/əˈfaɪ.əns/noun
To betroth or promise in marriage; also, a pledge of faith or trust.
Did you know?Affiance comes from the same deep Germanic root as **faith** and **fidelity**, so its core idea is literally a sacred act of trust.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰeydh-
“to trust, persuade, or confide”
Latin
Latin
fidēs
“faith, trust, loyalty”
Old French
Old French
afiance
“trust, confidence; pledge of troth”
Middle English
English
affiancen
“to pledge in marriage; to trust or commit oneself”
Modern English
English
affiance
“to betroth or promise in marriage”