warranty
Meaning
a written promise by a company to repair or replace a product if it develops a fault within a specific period of time.
a formal assurance or guarantee, especially in a legal context.
Structure
Usage
the new television comes with a two-year manufacturer's warranty.
the contract included a warranty that the information provided was accurate.
the warranty on my laptop expired just before the screen malfunctioned.
Etymology
the word 'warranty' entered english in the late middle english period from old north french 'warantie', a derivative of 'warant', meaning a protector or guarantor. this french term itself has germanic roots, likely from the old high german 'werento', a present participle of 'weren', meaning to warrant or protect, which is related to the notion of giving security. the suffix '-y' is a common english nominalization, transforming the concept of guaranteeing into the formal state or document that embodies that guarantee. thus, the literal sense of a protector's pledge evolved into the modern legal and commercial meaning of a written guarantee of a product's integrity.
Analysis
warrant (from old north french 'warant', meaning protector, guarantor, of germanic origin) + y (a noun-forming suffix of old english origin, indicating state or condition).