attest

EnglishEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from Middle French attester, from Latin attestor (“to witness to, bear witness”), from at-, combining form of ad (“to”) + testor (“to bear witness”), from testis (“a witness”).

PronunciationEdit

IPA^(key): /əˈtɛst/
Audio (US)
(file)
Rhymes: -ɛst

VerbEdit

attest (third-person singular simple present attests, present participle attesting, simple past and past participle attested)

(transitive) To affirm to be correct, true, or genuine.
When will the appraiser attest the date of the painting?
- 2019 May 19, Alex McLevy, “The final Game Of Thrones brings a pensive but simple meditation about stories (newbies)”, in The A.V. Club‎^[1]:
  As the Wildlings can attest, there’s already new life even north of the wall, poking up through the ice. Winter only lasts so long.
- 1730, Joseph Addison, The Evidences Of The Christian Religion
  facts […] attested by particular pagan authors
- 1599, William Shakespeare, Henry V iii 1 (Act ii in First Folio edition)
  Dishonour not your Mothers: now attest that those whom you call'd Fathers, did beget you.
(transitive) To certify by signature or oath.
You must attest your will in order for it to be valid.
(transitive) To certify in an official capacity.
(transitive, intransitive) To supply or be evidence of.
Her fine work attested her ability.
- 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, New York, N.Y.: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page viii:
  The supplementary bibliography (in Vol. VI) attests to the comprehensiveness of the effort.
- 1599, William Shakespeare, Henry V Prologue (First Folio edition)
  O pardon : since a crooked Figure may / Attest in little place a Million, / And let us, Cyphers to this great Accompt, / On your imaginarie Forces worke.
(transitive) To put under oath.
(transitive, obsolete) To call to witness; to invoke.
- 1697, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 403869432:
  
  The sacred streams which Heaven's imperial state / Attests in oaths, and fears to violate.

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

to affirm to be correct, true, or genuine

Albanian: dëshmoj (sq), vërteroj
Bulgarian: потвърждавам (bg) (potvǎrždavam), заверявам (bg) (zaverjavam), удостоверявам (bg) (udostoverjavam)
Chinese: 证实 (zh)
Czech: potvrdit (cs)
Dutch: attesteren (nl)
Esperanto: atesti (eo)
Finnish: todentaa (fi), vahvistaa (fi), todistaa (fi)
German: attestieren (de), beglaubigen (de)

Hungarian: tanúsít (hu), igazol (hu), bizonyít (hu)
Italian: attestare (it)
Latin: attestor
Norwegian: attestere (no)
Romanian: atesta (ro), confirma (ro), adeveri (ro)
Russian: подтвержда́ть (ru) (podtverždátʹ)
Spanish: avalar (es), atestiguar (es)
Swedish: attestera (sv)

to certify by signature or oath

Finnish: vahvistaa (fi), todistaa (fi)

Hungarian: tanúsít (hu)
Spanish: compulsar (es) (legal; referring to documents)

to certify in an official capacity

Finnish: vahvistaa (fi)

Hungarian: hitelesít (hu)

to supply or be evidence of

Finnish: osoittaa (fi), todistaa (fi)

Hungarian: tanúsít (hu), tanúskodik (hu)

to put under oath

to call to witness

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked