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; 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 ye 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. cl. 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 ye 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.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., I. (1694), 92 (J.). This we are taught by diuine law, which law both ascertaineth the truth and supplieth vnto vs the want of that other lawe.
1625. Gil, 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. cl. 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. cl.
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. trans. 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. 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. Shaftesb., 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.
