can anyone tell me what "Certavi" means?

Question

I think its Latin but I'm not sure.

Answer 1

It is Latin. It's the 1st person singular perfect active indicative of "certare" - basically, it means "I contended", or "I have contended". It's translated in a variety of ways (e.g fight, struggle, do battle, etc.) depending on context, but the main meaning seems to be one expressing contention between opposing forces.

*John-John: actually, the "cert-" root that makes it's way into English in words that have to do with surety and certainty isn't from the word "certo, certare, certavi, certatum", but from "cerno, cernere, crevi, certus". It's a common mistake, but also an important distinction. "Cerno" has to do with discernment; a thing that is "discerned" (certus in Latin) is in a way, "certain". "Certare" has to do with struggle and competion, as seen in the Latin word "certamen" (struggle, fight, competition). Certavi is from "certo, -are" rather than "cerno, -ere", and so must mean, "I contended/struggled/fought".

Also, it's not "certus factussum," but "certus factus sum" (lit. I was informed/made certain). The "certus" in this idiom (used quite a bit in Caesar's commentaries when it refers to being informed by scouts in a military setting) is from "cernere", not "certare" (this is seen quite plainly by the fact that the past participle of "certare" is not "certus", but in fact "certatus").

Answer 2

It is latin: certo-certavi-certatum-certare.
It means "to assert" , "make sure" !
In modern italian is " accertare", ( from ad-certare-accertare)>
The word "certo" in italian, nowadays, means "sure"!
In latin, "certo factussum"=I am convinced-about-.
"certior factussum"= I am more convinced-about-".-
Hope it's of your satisfaction!

Ciao......John-John.-