aceptar

Forms

aceptar (first-person singular present acepto, first-person singular preterite acepté, past participle aceptado)^[1] Medieval texts have açeptar, acebtar, accetar and aceutar;^[2][3] acetar is typical of the classical language, beside aceptar.^[2][3] Aceutar, acetar and similar forms live on in rural speech in much of Spain and the Americas.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin accepto (“to receive”), a frequentative of accipio (“to receive”), which is formed from ad- and capio (“to take”).^{[3][4][5][6][1]} García de Diego calls the word learned, beside the older acetar, which simplified the consonant group.^[7][1] Wiktionary describes the modern form as re-Latinised from that older form.^[1] The Academy's Autoridades insisted on the spelling with ⟨p⟩ after its origin, against Covarrubias, who wrote it without ⟨p⟩.^[8][3]

The same Latin verb gave Portuguese aceitar, semi-learned according to Nascentes, French accepter, Italian accettare and the English word accept.^[9][10][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest CDH hit is the Crónica de Sahagún (dated c. 1255, but known only from much later copies), where a superior „açepto su elecçion” “accepted his election”.^[11] Corominas's first record is of 1279, a document of the Order of Santiago in which a priest may be removed „si non se aceptaren dél” “if they are not satisfied with him”.^[3][4][2]

Semantic evolution

The oldest sense, reflexive, was “to be pleased with someone”; it was marked obsolete by the Academy from 1770.^[2] The transitive “to welcome someone” and “to receive willingly what is offered” followed in the 15th century,^[2][12] and the commercial sense “to accept a bill of exchange” is in Autoridades.^[8] The Academy's 1884 edition gave the etymology and that commercial sense.^[13] In 19th-century Argentina aceptar was used of a woman returning a suitor's love.^[14]

Timeline

• c. 1255 – the Crónica de Sahagún, known only from much later copies, has açepto.^[11]
• 1279 – a document of the Order of Santiago, the first record according to Corominas.^[3][2]
• c. 1453 – the Crónica de Álvaro de Luna uses it for agreeing to a journey.^[12]
• c. 1495 – Nebrija has aceptar with the ⟨p⟩ and the noun aceptación.^[3][4][2]
• 1515 – the first record from the Americas, as açeutar, in Tierra Firme.^[15]
• 1611 – Covarrubias still writes acetar.^[3]
• 1726–1739 – the Diccionario de Autoridades calls for the spelling with ⟨p⟩.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To accept, receive willingly what is given, offered or entrusted: Aceptó el puesto sin dudar.^[5][1]
2. To approve, agree to: No aceptaron sus condiciones.^[5][1]
3. To admit, let in.^[5]
4. To bear a sacrifice or hardship with resignation; to come to terms with.^[5][1]
5. (commerce) To undertake in writing to pay a bill of exchange.^[5][8]

Word family

• aceptación
• aceptable
• aceptador

Related words

• acepción
• acepto
• Latin accepto
• English accept

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Real Academia Española (2021–), Tesoro de los diccionarios históricos de la lengua española (TDHLE): Diccionario histórico (1933–1936), its unpublished slips, Diccionario histórico (1960–1996), DHECan, DHECR, DHEVen, https://www.rae.es/tdhle, p. s.v. aceptar
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Corominas, Joan; Pascual, José A. (1980–1991), Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, 6 vols., Madrid: Gredos, p. 1, 33
4. ^ a b c Corominas, Joan (1973), Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. aceptar
5. ^ a b c d e f Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es, p. s.v. aceptar
6. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. s.v. accepto
7. ^ García de Diego, Vicente (1985), Diccionario etimológico español e hispánico, 2nd ed., Madrid: Espasa-Calpe (1st ed. 1954), p. 60
8. ^ a b c d Real Academia Española (1726–1739), Diccionario de la lengua castellana (Diccionario de Autoridades), 6 vols., Madrid: Francisco del Hierro, p. 1, 45
9. ^ Nascentes, Antenor (1966), Dicionário etimológico resumido, Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Nacional do Livro, p. s.v. aceitar
10. ^ Terreros y Pando, Esteban de (1786–1793), Diccionario castellano con las voces de ciencias y artes y sus correspondientes de las tres lenguas francesa, latina e italiana, 4 vols., Madrid: Viuda de Ibarra, p. 1, 17
11. ^ a b Real Academia Española (2013–), Corpus del Diccionario histórico de la lengua española (CDH), version 3.1, https://apps.rae.es/CNDHE, p. s.v. aceptar
12. ^ a b Alonso Pedraz, Martín (1986), Diccionario medieval español: desde las Glosas Emilianenses y Silenses (s. X) hasta el siglo XV, 2 vols., Salamanca: Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, p. 97
13. ^ Real Academia Española (1884), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 12th ed., Madrid: Imprenta de D. Gregorio Hernando (the first Academy edition with etymologies), p. 12
14. ^ Garzón, Tobías (1910), Diccionario argentino, Barcelona: Imprenta Elzeviriana de Borrás y Mestres, p. 4
15. ^ Boyd-Bowman, Peter (2003), Léxico hispanoamericano 1493–1993, ed. Ray Harris-Northall and John J. Nitti, New York: Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies, p. s.v. acebtar