Etymology Dictionary

WARRANT,  a voucher, guarantee, commission giving authority.  (F.,—O.H.G.)   M.E. warant, Havelok, 2067, St. Marharete, ed. Cockayne, p. 8, l. 10.—O.F. warant, guarant (Burguy), later garant, 'a vouchee, warrant; also, a supporter, defender, maintainer, protector;' Cot.   Cotgrave also gives the spelling garent, 'a warrenter.'   In the Laws of Will. I, in Thorpe's Ancient Laws, i. 476, 477, the F. spelling is guarant, and the Low Lat. warantum and warrantum.   The suffix -ant is clearly due to the Lat. -ant- used as the suffix of a present participle; so that the orig. sense of O.F. war-ant was 'defending' or 'protecting.'—O.H.G. warjan, werjan, M.H.G. wern, weren, G. wehren, to protect, lit. 'to give heed.'—O.H.G. wara, M.H.G. war, heed, care.—✔WAR, to heed; see Wary.   Der. warrant, verb, M.E. waranten, K. Alisaunder, 2132; warrant-er, warrant-or, warrant-able, warrant-abl-y, warrant-able-ness.   Also warrant-y, from O.F. warantie, later garantie, 'garrantie, warrantie, or warrantise,' Cot., orig. fem. of pp. of warantir, later garantir, to warrant, guarantee.   Also guarant-ee (error for guarant-ie), q.v.   And see warr-en, war-is-on, garr-et. [†]

ADDENDA

In the Laws of Will. I., we also find the spellings warant, warrant, §§ 45, 47.   Cf. also Anglo-F. warrantie, warranty, Year-Books of Edw. I. ii. 331, spelt garrantie, id. i. 11.