affiance

Alternative forms

• affiaunce (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle French affiance, from affier (from Medieval Latin affīdāre, from *fīdāre, from Latin fīdere) + -ance.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈfaɪəns/
• Rhymes: -aɪəns

Verb

affiance (third-person singular simple present affiances, present participle affiancing, simple past and past participle affianced)

1. (transitive) To be betrothed to; to promise to marry.

Noun

affiance (plural affiances)

1. Faith, trust.
   • 1603, John Florio, transl.; Michel de Montaigne, The Essayes, […], printed at London: […] Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:
     , II.12:

     All other outward shewes and exterior apparences are common to all religions: As hope, affiance [transl. confiance], events, ceremonies, penitence and martyrdome.

   • Sir J. Stephen

     Such feelings promptly yielded to his habitual affiance in the divine love.

   • Tennyson

     Lancelot, my Lancelot, thou in whom I have / Most joy and most affiance.

2. (archaic) A solemn engagement, especially a pledge of marriage.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.iv:

     I that Ladie to my spouse had wonne; / Accord of friends, consent of parents sought, / Affiance made, my happinesse begonne […].

Etymology

Old French afiance, from afier (“to promise”) +‎ -ance.

Noun

affiance f (plural affiances)

1. promise (verbal guarantee)

References

• affiance on Dictionnaire du Moyen Français (1330-1500) (in French)