affidavit

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin affidavit (“he has sworn”), the third person singular perfect tense of affido (“swear”), from fīdō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰidʰ-, zero-grade of Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- (“to command, to persuade, to trust”). Cognate to fidelity and faith (same Latin root), but not to affirm (shared Latin ad- prefix, but different Latin and Proto-Indo-European roots).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˌæfɪˈdeɪvɪt/
• Rhymes: -eɪvɪt

Noun

affidavit (plural affidavits)

1. (law) A signed document wherein an affiant makes a sworn statement.
   • 1959, William S. Burroughs, Naked Lunch, page 142

     Lee's case is urgent. He has to file an immediate affidavit that he is suffering from bubonic plague to avoid eviction from the house he has occupied ten years without paying the rent.

   He submitted his affidavit rather than appearing to testify in court.

Translations

legal, signed document wherein an affiant makes a sworn statement

Dutch: beëdigde verklaring (nl) f. Esperanto: afidavito (eo) French: affidavit (fr) German: Eidesstattliche Versicherung f.

Icelandic: eiðsvarin yfirlýsing (is) f., skrifleg yfirlýsing (is) f., eiðfest yfirlýsing (is) f. Sinhala: දිවුරුම් පත, දිවුරුම් පෙත්සම n. Spanish: declaración jurada (es) f., affidávit (es) m.

---

Latin

Verb

affidavit (third person singular perfect tense of affido)

1. Third person singular perfect tense of affidare ("to swear").