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Can anyone tell me the etymological root of the word "fidelity" ? I've found here the adjective form of it to be "fidelitous" (faithful). I don't know whether it's correct. And what is the verb of it (i.e to trust) ?

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OED gives fide v. rare. [f. L. fīd-ĕre to confide.] trans. To confide or entrust to. With 1863 citation "The‥request that her infant daughter might be fided to the care of her friend." But I think the etymology is General Reference, and that verb form is Too Localised. – FumbleFingers Aug 29 '12 at 22:25
Fide (v.) and Fidelitous (Adj.) says my teacher too. – its_me Aug 30 '12 at 6:46

closed as general reference by FumbleFingers, tchrist, Mahnax, MετάEd, kiamlaluno Sep 3 '12 at 23:52

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2 Answers

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Based on (Merriam-Webster Online's definition), it comes from Latin (by way of French and Middle English): fides meaning faith and fidere meaning to trust.

Fidelitous is the adjective, although it's not used all that commonly. There's not a verb form that I've seen or can find, and the verb form wouldn't mean "to trust," but "to be faithful."

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An English verb phrase along the same lines is to keep faith. There are not many definitions online; Wiktionary says

(transitive)to continue to have confidence in someone or something, and to support them or it

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