Guarantee vs warranty

Two words that often create a lot of confusion among the people – irrespective of rich and poor, urban and rural, old and young, or male and female – are 'guarantee' and 'warranty'. According to one dictionary, the meaning of 'guarantee' is "a promise that something will be done or will happen, especially a written promise by a company to repair or change a product that develops a fault within a particular period of time." An example is something like this – A television set comes with a two-year guarantee. Or, say – the shopkeeper said they would replace the television set since it was still under guarantee. The word 'guarantee' also has a number of synonyms – assurance, promise, commitment, pledge, undertaking, oath, word, bond and so on. The word 'warranty' on the other hand means "a written statement that one gets when one buys something, which promises to repair or replace it if it is broken or does not work." One dictionary says, warranty is "a written promise by a company that, if one finds a fault in something they have sold to one within a certain time, they will repair it or replace it free of charge." As a noun, 'guarantee' is "an agreement assuming responsibility to perform, execute, or complete something and offering security for that agreement." As a verb on the other hand, it can assure one that one has confidence in one's product or service. For example – I guarantee that you'll love this product or you'll get your money back! Of course, 'guarantee' is used in many other more general contexts outside of products or services, as it can also mean "something that assures a particular outcome or condition." For example, one might say – Even if you do get this job, there's no guarantee that you'll be happier! Now let us take a look at the origin of the two words 'guarantee' and 'warrantee.' The former word is said to have originated in the late 17th century, perhaps from the Spanish word 'garante', corresponding to a French word called 'garant', and later influenced by another French word called 'garantie', which over a period of time came to be spelt in English first as 'guaranty' and subsequently as 'guarantee.' Some etymologists also claim that it has a German connection too. None however has been able to find any Italian, Sanskrit, Arabic or Urdu connection or root of the word. The word 'warranty' on the other hand is said to have come into use during the period when Middle English was prevalent and dominant in England. There is also a story about the word coming from an Anglo-Norman French word called 'warantie', said to be a variant of 'garantie'. There is also this school which claims that the word 'warranty' – or its forefather – was first identified in the mid-14th century, it being used as a legal term for various types of clauses in real estate transactions, while it is also said that it came forward to its present shape and form – and of course present spelling – from an Anglo-French and Old North French word called 'warantie', which was used to clearly mean protection, defense and safeguard. Interestingly, 'warranty' and 'guarantee' can be closely related, and one may use both these terms related to products and services. Moreover, while the word 'guarantee' is fast becoming a less-used word, heading towards becoming obsolete, people – customers – nowadays look more at 'warranty', particularly insisting that there is also the provision of a "90-day return period" in the event of the product or item offered by the company and taken by the customer. What the common people have not found in the latest use of the word 'guarantee' in the on-going Assam Assembly elections is the 'guarantee card' and 'warranty card' hanging from the necks of candidates of a particular political party which has given a 'guarantee' of five years on five different aspects of the products it is putting up before the customers, nay voters. Moreover, what is also lacking is a "90-day return period" if the customer is dissatisfied with the product or finds it defective after being delivered!