affirm vs maintain

affirm and maintain both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
affirm	No	No	Yes	No
maintain	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, maintain is a hyponym of affirm; that is, maintain is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than affirm:

Other hyponyms of affirm include claim, reaffirm, confirm, reassert, defend.

affirm (verb)	maintain (verb)
establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts	stick to correctly or closely
to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true	state categorically
say yes to	state or assert
	support against an opponent
	maintain by writing regular records
	supply with necessities and support
	keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction
	have and exercise
	maintain for use and service
	cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity