accepto

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [akˈkɛp.toː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [atˈt͡ʃɛp.to]^[1]

Forms

acceptō (present infinitive acceptāre, perfect active acceptāvī, supine acceptātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin accipiō (“to receive”) + -tō, a frequentative.^[2][1][3] Accipiō is from ad- and capiō “to take”.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has a slave who keeps his master's accounts say that he receives money and pays it out.^[2][4] Köbler dates Plautus about 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It differs little in meaning from accipiō; the TLL notes that it was used from Plautus on and became more common in the Christian period.^[4] It meant to receive regularly, as payment, of fees taken from pupils in Quintilian, and to be given food in Columella.^[2][3] It also meant to receive a name, to submit to a yoke in Silius Italicus, and of ground, to admit of a tunnel in Curtius.^[2][6] Manilius uses it of grasping something mentally.^[2] In medieval Latin it meant to receive a guest, to obtain, and to approve or recognise.^[7] English accept comes from Old French accepter or directly from it in the late 14th century.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of receiving money.^[2][5]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of fees received from pupils.^[2][5]
• 25–101 AD – Silius Italicus uses it of submitting to the yoke.^[2][5]
• late 14th century – English accept is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To receive regularly, take (a payment).^[2][1]
2. To receive, be given (a name).^[2]
3. To submit to, accept (a condition).^[2][1]
4. (of things) To admit of (a procedure).^[2]
5. To grasp mentally, comprehend.^[2][1]
6. (Medieval Latin) To approve, recognise.^[7]

Word family

• acceptābilis
• acceptātor
• acceptitō

Related words

• acceptiō
• acceptor
• acceptōrius
• acceptrix
• acceptus
• accipiō
• English accept

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com