Attornare

/ætɔːnˈeɪr/ verb

Definition

An alternate or archaic form of 'attorn,' referring to the same feudal act of transferring one's allegiance to a new lord.

Etymology

A variant spelling of 'attorn' with an additional Latin infinitive ending '-are,' reflecting Middle English and Norman French legal terminology where word forms varied considerably between documents and regions.

Kelly Says

Medieval legal documents are full of spelling variations like this because there was no standardized spelling yet—scribes wrote phonetically, and Latin influences mixed with French and English. Finding 'attornare' vs 'attorn' in old deeds tells us something about which region or time period the document comes from.

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