the.com/affidavit
A promise so serious it brought a notary and a penalty for lying.
means A written statement of fact you swear is true under oath, signed before an authorized official.
from Medieval Latin affidavit, meaning he has pledged his faith — literally a frozen verb that became a noun.
Built-in oathLying in one is perjury, a crime.
Witness requiredA notary or officer must watch you sign.
Verb fossilThe word is grammatically a past-tense sentence.