Etymology Dictionary

AFFORD,  to supply, produce.  (E.)   α. This word should have but one f.   The double f is due to a supposed analogy with words that begin with aff- in Latin, where aff- is put for adf-; but the word is not Latin, and the prefix is not ad-.   β. Besides this, the pronunciation has been changed at the end.  Rightly, it should be aforth, but the th has changed as in other words; cf. murther, now murder, further, provincially furder.   γ. M.E. aforthen, to afford, suffice, provide.   'And here and there, as that my litille wit Aforthe may [i.e. may suffice], eek thinke I translate it'; Occleve, in Halliwell's Dictionary (where the word is misinterpreted).   'And thereof was Piers proude, and put hem to worke, And yaf hem mete as he myghte aforth [i.e. could afford or provide], and mesurable huyre' [hire]; P. Plowman, B. vi. 200.   B. In this word, as in aware, q.v., the prefix a- is a corruption of the A.S. prefix ge-, which in the 12th century was written ye- or i-, and iforth easily passed into aforth, owing to the atonic nature of the syllable.  Hence we find the forms yeforthian and iforthien in the 12th century.  Ex. 'thenne he iseye thet he ne mahte na mare yeforthian' = when he saw that he could afford no more; Old Eng. Homilies, ed. Morris, 1st series, p. 31; 'do thine elmesse of thon thet thu maht iforthien' = do thine alms of that which thou mayest afford, id. p. 37.—A.S. ge-forðian (where the ge- is a mere prefix that is often dropped), or forðian, to further, promote, accomplish, provide, afford.   'Hwilc man swa haued behaten to faren to Rome, and he ne muge hit forðian' = whatever man has promised [vowed] to go to Rome, and may not accomplish it; A.S. Chron. ed. Thorpe, an. 675, later interpolation; see footnote on p. 58.   'Þa wæs geforðad þín fægere weorc' = then was accomplished thy fair work (Grein); 'hæfde geforðod, þæt he his freán gehét' = had performed that which he promised his lord; Grein, i. 401.—A.S. ge-, prefix (of slight value); and forðian, to promote, forward, produce, cause to come forth.—A.S. forð, forth, forward.  See Forth.