Dictionary

affy en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /əˈfaɪ/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English affien (“to have faith, trust”), from Anglo-Norman afier, affier, affyer, Middle French afier, affier, affyer, and Old French afier (“to agree to marry; to believe, trust; to assure, promise; to confide in; to pledge, swear”), from Late Latin affidare (“to betroth; to pledge faith”), from Latin af- (a variant of ad- (intensifying prefix)) + Vulgar Latin *fīdāre (“to trust”) (from Latin fidēre, the present active infinitive of fīdō (“to put confidence in, trust; to rely upon”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- (“to convince; to trust”)).

Meanings

1. (obsolete, transitive) To have faith in (someone); to trust.
2. (obsolete, transitive) Chiefly followed by that or to: to formally affirm or promise (something).
3. (obsolete, transitive) Chiefly of a man: to formally promise to marry (someone, chiefly a woman); to be engaged to; also, to marry (someone); to espouse.
   • He, though affide unto a former love, / To whom his faith he firmely ment to hold, / […] Her graunted love, but with affection cold […] 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
4. (obsolete, qualifier:chiefly passive voice, transitive) Chiefly followed by to, unto, or with: often of a parent or guardian: to formally promise that (someone) be married to another person; to affiance, to betroth.
5. (figuratively, obsolete, transitive) Followed by in, to, or unto: to bind or pledge (someone or something) to another person or thing.
6. (intransitive, obsolete) Chiefly followed by in, on, and upon: to rely on, to trust.
   • Marcus Andronicus, so I do affie / In thy vprightnesse and Integrity […] c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

Forms

Deriveds

unaffied · affiant

Relateds

affiance

affy en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈæfi/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Shortening of affidavit.

Meanings

1. (obsolete, slang) An affidavit to be signed by a contest winner to confirm eligibility.
   • If you have won a monthly prize, they will send you an affy and have you send it back. Then your prize comes from a courier. 1997, Sandretto, “Singapore Contest....”, in alt.consumers.sweepstakes (Usenet):
   • The contest ended in mid November, I got the affy Christmas eve, and I picked up the car February 4th or 5th. 1999, Suzy, “Any BIG winners?”, in alt.consumers.sweepstakes (Usenet):

Forms