Affiancing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of pledging one's commitment to marry another signifies a formal engagement between two individuals
2. The process of formally promising oneself to another person signifies an agreement to enter into a marriage relationship
3. A ceremonial pledge of intent to marry marks the onset of a committed partnership between two people

Etymology: "Affiancing" is the present participle of "affiance," so it is the form of "affiance" used for the act itself. The verb "affiance" goes back to Medieval Latin "affīdāre," built on the Latin verb "fīdere," meaning "to trust." The Latin root gives the sense of pledging one's faith, which is why a betrothal began as a solemn promise of trust between two people. The Latin "affīdāre" passed into Old French as "affier," meaning to pledge or betroth, and French then formed the noun "affiance" by adding the suffix "-ance," which turns a verb into a noun of action or state. English borrowed "affiance" from that French noun, and the verb came from it. The core idea of trust survives in the word: to affiance someone is to bind oneself to them by a promise of faith.

Synonyms: betrothing, engaging

Antonyms: divorcing