To entrust or confide something to someone's care; an archaic legal term meaning to place under oath or bond.
From Medieval Latin affidāre, combining ad- 'to' + fidāre 'to trust' (from Latin fidus 'faithful'). This legal term was used in medieval court proceedings and gradually fell out of common use as modern legal vocabulary evolved.
Medieval courts used 'affidare' as a formal way to put someone under oath to protect valuable property or secrets—it's related to the word 'fidelity,' and both come from the same Latin root meaning 'faith' or 'trust,' showing how trust was central to medieval law.
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