Editly Etymology: ensure vs insure

The experts at Editly have become masters of commonly confused words over the course of their careers as editors, proofreaders, and AI humanizers. In Editly Etymology, they tap into their own experience to offer a closer look into the horrifying beauty of the English language. This installment investigates a classic pair of confusion: ensure vs insure. 

Ensure Definition

Ensure is a verb that means to make sure.

Insure Definition

Insure is a verb that means to guarantee against loss or harm.

Did you catch that? Just to make sure, let’s ask AI to help us generate a visual representation of each of the words.

Ensure = to make sure.

Insure = to guarantee against loss.

Ensure Root

Middle English, from Old French, from Latin.

Insure Root

Middle English, from Old French, from Latin.

Who is to Blame for this Confusion?

In a pattern seen again and again in confusing word pairs, the Latins passed it to the French who passed it to the English. So, once more, the Latins are to blame. Though the Old French should not entirely escape blame. Bad Old French. Very bad, indeed.

AI Text on Ensure

The word "ensure" has a rich history that traces back through Middle English and Old French, ultimately deriving from Latin. Here's a detailed look at its etymology:

1. Middle English: The word "ensure" in Middle English (spoken from the late 11th to the late 15th century) was "ensuren," which meant to make sure or to guarantee.
2. Old French: The Middle English term "ensuren" was borrowed from Old French "enseurer" or "assurer," which meant to make certain or to assure.
3. Latin: The Old French "enseurer" itself derived from the Late Latin word "insĕcurāre," which combines the prefix "in-" meaning "in" or "on" with "sĕcurus," meaning "secure" or "safe." The Latin "sĕcurus" comes from "se-" meaning "without" and "cura," meaning "care" or "concern." Therefore, "sĕcurus" essentially meant "without care" or "free from worry."
4. Modern English: The word "ensure" entered Modern English with the meaning of making something certain or guaranteeing it. The spelling and pronunciation have remained relatively stable since the Early Modern English period (1500 to 1700 AD).

Throughout its history, "ensure" has consistently been used to express the idea of making something certain, guaranteeing an outcome, or providing assurance. Its etymological journey from Latin through Old French to English highlights the word's evolution in meaning and usage over centuries. (212 words)

Humanization of AI Text on Ensure

"Ensure" has a rich history that traces back through Middle English and Old French, ultimately deriving from Latin.

1. Middle English: "Ensure" in Middle English (spoken from the late 11th to the late 15th century) was "ensuren," meaning to make sure or to guarantee.
2. Old French: It was borrowed from Old French "enseurer" or "assurer," meaning to make certain or to assure.
3. Latin: The Old French "enseurer" itself derived from the Late Latin word "insĕcurāre," which combines the prefix "in-" meaning "in" or "on" with "sĕcurus," meaning "secure" or "safe." The Latin "sĕcurus" comes from "se-" meaning "without" and "cura," meaning "care" or "concern." Therefore, "sĕcurus" essentially meant "without care" or "free from worry."
4. Modern English: The word "ensure" entered Modern English with the meaning of making something certain or guaranteeing it.

Over the centuries, "ensure" has consistently been used to express the idea of making something certain, guaranteeing an outcome, or providing assurance. (157 words)

Result of Changing the AI Text to Human Text 

Humanization has enhanced the readability and clarity of the original AI content, primarily by eliminating the unnecessary repetition of ideas. In fact, humanization has reduced the word count from 212 words down to 157 words—or by more than 25%—without losing any of the text’s original ideas.

AI Text on Insure

The word "insure" has a distinct history, though it shares roots with "ensure." Here's a detailed look at its etymology and development over time:

1. Middle English: The word "insure" in Middle English (spoken from the late 11th to the late 15th century) was "insuren." It was used in the context of making certain or securing something, especially in a financial or contractual sense.
2. Old French: The Middle English term "insuren" was borrowed from Old French "enseurer" or "assurer," which meant to make certain, assure, or guarantee.
3. Latin: The Old French "enseurer" is derived from the Late Latin word "insĕcurāre," which combines the prefix "in-" meaning "in" or "on" with "sĕcurus," meaning "secure" or "safe." This Latin origin is shared with the word "ensure."
4. Early Modern English: By the Early Modern English period (1500 to 1700 AD), "insure" began to take on a more specific meaning related to financial protection against loss or damage, particularly through insurance policies. This was in part due to the rise of the insurance industry, which required a term to describe the act of providing or obtaining insurance.
5. Modern English: In contemporary usage, "insure" is predominantly used in the context of financial insurance, such as health insurance, car insurance, or life insurance. This distinguishes it from "ensure," which generally means to make certain or guarantee.

The specialization of "insure" to refer specifically to financial protection and the contractual aspects of insurance reflects the development of commercial and legal practices over time. Despite its shared roots with "ensure," "insure" has evolved to have a more precise and specialized meaning in modern English. (270 words)

Humanization of AI Text on Insure

Though it shares roots with "ensure," "insure" has a distinct history.

1. Middle English: "Insure" in Middle English was "insuren,” utilized in the context of making certain or securing something, especially in a financial or contractual sense.
2. Old French: "Insuren" was borrowed from Old French "enseurer" or "assurer," meaning to make certain, assure, or guarantee.
3. Latin: "Enseurer" is derived from the Late Latin word "insĕcurāre," which combines the prefix "in-" meaning "in" or "on" with "sĕcurus," meaning "secure" or "safe."
4. Early Modern English: By this period (1500 to 1700 AD), "insure" began to take on a more specific meaning related to financial protection against loss or damage, particularly through insurance policies.
5. Modern English: "Insure" is predominantly used in the context of financial insurance, such as health insurance, car insurance, or life insurance.

The specialization of "insure" to refer specifically to financial protection and the contractual aspects of insurance reflects the development of commercial and legal practices over time. (162 words)

Effect of Humanizing the AI Text

Humanization has dramatically improved the clarity and readability of the text by making it more concise, primarily through the elimination of repetition and redundancy. In fact, humanization has reduced the word count from 270 words to 162 words—or by a full 40 percent.

The Takeaway

Whether it’s for ensure or insure, the best AI humanizer does, in fact, turn out to be a human. So, if you need any help to humanize your AI text, don’t wait to get started on Editly.