▁in ▁Marse ille ▁in ▁ 1 2 1 0 , ▁Barcelona ▁in ▁ 1 2 5 8 ▁and ▁Florence ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 3 th . ▁ 1 5 th - century ▁French ▁av arie ▁had ▁the ▁same ▁meaning , ▁and ▁it ▁beg ot ▁English ▁" aver ay " ▁( 1 4 9 1 ) ▁and ▁English ▁" aver age " ▁( 1 5 0 2 ) ▁with ▁the ▁same ▁meaning . ▁Today , ▁Italian ▁av aria , ▁Catal an ▁av aria ▁and ▁French ▁av arie ▁still ▁have ▁the ▁primary ▁meaning ▁of ▁" dam age ". ▁The ▁huge ▁transformation ▁of ▁the ▁meaning ▁in ▁English ▁began ▁with ▁the ▁practice ▁in ▁later ▁medieval ▁and ▁early ▁modern ▁Western ▁merchant - marine ▁law ▁contract s ▁under ▁which ▁if ▁the ▁ship ▁met ▁a ▁bad ▁storm ▁and ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁goods ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁thrown ▁over board ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁ship ▁l ighter ▁and ▁sa fer , ▁then ▁all ▁mer ch ants ▁whose ▁goods ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁ship ▁were ▁to ▁suffer ▁proportion ately ▁( and ▁not ▁who ever ' s ▁goods ▁were ▁thrown ▁over board ); ▁and ▁more ▁generally ▁there ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁proportion ate ▁distribution ▁of ▁any ▁av aria . ▁From ▁there ▁the ▁word ▁was ▁adopted ▁by ▁British ▁ins ur ers , ▁credit ors , ▁and ▁mer ch ants ▁for ▁talking ▁about ▁their ▁losses ▁as ▁being ▁spread ▁across ▁their ▁whole ▁port folio ▁of ▁assets ▁and ▁having ▁a ▁mean ▁proportion . ▁Today ' s ▁meaning ▁developed ▁out ▁of ▁that , ▁and ▁started ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 8