nantir

From Middle French, from Old French nantir (“to seize (the guarantors)”), from nant (“pledge, security”), probably from Old Norse nám (“taking, seizure”), from Proto-Germanic *nēmą (“taking”), from Proto-Indo-European *nem- (“to give or take one's due”). Cognate with Old High German nām (“robbery”), Old English niman (“to take, seize”). More at nim.

• IPA^(key): /nɑ̃.tiʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

nantir

1. (transitive) to provide

   Cet homme ne prête point si on ne le nantit auparavant.

   That man will not give anyone a loan without collateral.

2. (reflexive) to obtain, to get

   Je me suis nanti d’un bon manteau contre la pluie.

   I've got myself a good raincoat.

This is a regular verb of the second conjugation, like finir, choisir, and most other verbs with infinitives ending in -ir. One salient feature of this conjugation is the repeated appearance of the infix -iss-.

• “nantir”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.