▪ I. ascertain, v.
(æsəˈteɪn)
Forms: 5 acertein, 5–6 -teyne, -tayne, -tain(e, 6 -tene, accertaine; 5 assartayne, 5–6 assertayne, 6 asartayne, assertene, -teine, 6–7 -tain(e; 5–6 ascertayn(e, 6 -teyne, -taine, 6– ascertain; also 5 adcerteyne, 6 -taine.
[a. OF. acertaine- tonic stem of acertene-r (late AF. asser-, ascer-), f. à to + certain, certain. In Eng. assimilated to certain; pronounced (əˈsɜːtən) as late as 1650; the prefix as- for ac- began with the spelling as-sertayne, and is of course etymologically erroneous.]
I. To make subjectively certain: i.e. a person certain of a fact, or a thing certain to the mind.
† 1. trans. To make (a person) certain, sure, or confident; to certify, assure; passing in looser usage into: To inform, apprise, tell. a. simply. Obs.
| 1465 Paston Lett. 531 II. 244 As I was credebly assartaynyed by a yeman. 1544 Bale Sir J. Oldcastell in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) I. 285 He was thoroughly assertained in his conscience for that conflyct of fayth. 1548 Phaër æneid iii. (R.) Anchises I ascertaine then, and him declare the caas. 1602 Carew Cornwall 126 a, Seeking by a fore-conjecture to bee ascertained. 1676 Bullokar, Ascertain, to assure, to certifie. |
† b. Const. with of. Obs.
| c 1400 Floure & Leaf 568 For now I am acertained throughly Of every thing I desired to know. 1490 Caxton Eneydos xv. 61 Whan he was adcerteyned of the dooynge of dydo and of Eneas. 1528 More Heresyes i. Wks. 161/1 Now is y⊇ church well acertened of goddes pleasure therin. 1649 G. Daniel Trinarch., Hen. V, clxii, The French (ascertain'd of a Victory) Are but vnsattisfied. 1789 G. Morris in Sparks Life (1832) II. 3, I wish to be ascertained of the..intentions of the Court. |
¶ Const. confused with 3 or 6.
| 1658 Ussher Annals 739 Mariamne had ascertained to Herod by oath of her chastity. |
† c. with subord. clause. Obs.
| 1450 Q. Margaret in Four C. Eng. Lett. 8 And how ye thinke to be disposed..ye will acertein us by the bearer. 1548 Cranmer Catech. 213 b, To asserten vs, that we are y⊇ lyvely members of God's trew churche. 1550 Bale Image both Ch. I j b, These..assertayned me that he was the lyon of the trybe of Juda. 1684 Bunyan Pilgr. ii. 19 But how shall I be ascertained that I also shall be entertained? 1763–5 Churchill Candidate Poems II. 30 Who may perhaps, in some ten years or more, Be ascertained that Two and Two make four. |
† 2. refl. To make oneself certain or confident; to gain trustworthy information. Obs.
| 1601 R. J[ohnson] The Worlde Ded., Ascertaining my selfe, that the honorable vertues..have setled so good an impression. 1684 Charnock Attrib. God (1834) I. 2 He could not so ascertain himself by convincing arguments. 1731 Medley Kolben's Cape G.H. I. 92 Before I could ascertain myself of the religious institutions of the Hottentots. |
3. trans. To make (a thing) certain to the mind; to render certain what or which it is. arch.
| 1494 Fabyan clxxvii. (R.) Whereof the tyme is nat duely ascertayned. a 1600 Hooker (J.) The divine law..ascertaineth the truth. 1625 A. Gill Sacr. Philos. ii. 183 Postellus to ascertaine this matier to the understanding, brings these reasons. 1750 Harris Hermes (1841) 185 If the essence of an article be to define and ascertain. 1794 Godwin Cal. Williams 266 The intelligence that was brought me by no means ascertained the greatness of the danger. 1850 Sir J. Stephen Eccl. Biog. I. 154 The crypt which then ascertained the spot where the Apostle..had won the crown of martyrdom. |
† b. with subord. clause. Obs.
| 1736 Butler Anal. ii. vii. 359 In order to ascertain and distinguish from all others, who is the object of our worship. 1787 Bp. Horne Olla Podr. xiii, But who shall exactly ascertain to us what superstition is? 1823 Scott Peveril III. vi. 101 Initial letters..which seemed to ascertain that it was addressed to himself. |
† 4. To make certain to us the existence of, establish as a certainty. Obs.
| 1791 Boswell Johnson (1816) I. 19 Which ascertains a defect that many of his friends knew he had, though I never perceived it. |
† b. with inf. phr. To establish, prove (a thing to be so and so). Obs.
| 1670 G. H. Hist. Cardinals ii. ii. 154 These reasons..do ascertain him to be Pope. 1791 Boswell Johnson (1831) I. 111 [This] would ascertain it not to be the production of Johnson. 1810 Boothroyd Biblia Hebr. II. 49 The use of this word clearly ascertains it to be a participle. |
5. To find out or learn for a certainty by experiment, examination, or investigation; to make sure of, get to know. (The only current use.)
| 1794 Sullivan View Nat. I. 138 Those particular properties of bodies which are ascertained by the assistance of heat. c 1854 Stanley Sinai & Pal. (1858) Pref. 16 It is important to ascertain the real facts. 1861 Geo. Eliot Silas M. 9 Legal measures for ascertaining the culprit. |
b. with inf. or subord. clause.
| c 1803 Fox James II (1808) 23 Whether he would have acted upon this determination, his death..prevents us now from ascertaining. 1822 Southey in Q. Rev. XXVII. 2 The day is ascertained to have been Good Friday. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 433 The Duke of York..ascertained that the city was perfectly quiet. 1880 tr. Daudet's Fromont & Risler ii. iv. 76 He arose softly to ascertain who were these singular thieves. |
II. To make (a thing) objectively certain, to fix.
† 6. To make (a thing) sure (to a person); to render certain the possession of, ensure, secure. Obs.
| 1563 J. Man Musculus' Common-pl. 287 a, Joynctly linked together, to assertayne the equalitie of Godhed to eche of them. 1681 Baxter Acc. Sherlock iii. 175 They seem to ascertain salvation to the baptized. 1751 Johnson Rambl. No. 134 ¶10 No diligence can ascertain success. 1823 Scott St. Ronan's iii, The squire's influence..ascertained him the support of the whole class of bucks. |
† 7. To make (a person) sure (to a thing); to bring or deliver certainly, destine or doom to. Obs.
| 1649 Jer. Taylor Gt. Exemp. vii. §13 Would ascertain us into a possession of all the promises. 1658 Whole Duty Man x. §9 (1684) 81 Whomsoever thou..hast done thy part to ascertain to those endless flames. 1667 Decay Chr. Piety x. §1. 311 She..is ascertained to sink under all the methods of ruine. |
† 8. To make (a thing) certain, definite, or precise, by determining exactly its limits, extent, amount, position, etc.; to decide, fix, settle, limit. Obs.
| 1494 [see ascertained]. 1668 Temple in Four C. Eng. Lett. 125 The proportions of money..being ascertained in the treaty. 1711 Shaftesbury Charac. (1737) I. 17 To suppress by violence the natural Passion of Enthusiasm or to endeavour to ascertain it. 1727 Swift Let. Eng. Tongue Wks. 1755 II. i. 182 Some effectual method for correcting, enlarging, and ascertaining our language. 1789 Const. U.S. i. §6 A compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law. |
† 9. To make certain the existence or occurrence of; to reduce to a certainty. Obs.
| 1628 Feltham Resolves i. lxxi. Wks. 1677, 108 Evils, that are but probable, they ascertain. |
▪ II. † aˈscertain, a. Obs.—0
[a. OF. acertain, f. as prec.]
Certain, sure.
| 1475 [see ascertainly]. |