accipio

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [akˈkɪ.pi.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [atˈt͡ʃiː.pi.o]^[1]

Forms

accipiō (present infinitive accipere, perfect active accēpī, supine acceptum); third (-iō variant) conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ad- (“to, towards”) + capiō (“to take”).^[2][3] The verb capiō is inherited from Proto-Italic *kap-i- (“to seize”), which de Vaan derives from PIE *kh₂p-i- or from a non-Indo-European *kap-i-.^[4] Pacuvius has an old future accepsō.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are Ennius, “take your hands and mine”, and Plautus, who has a character take a bowl from someone's hand.^[2][5] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to take in one's hand what is offered, to receive, to take into one's possession, to get or acquire, to take charge of, and to inherit.^[2] With the mind it meant to hear of, learn and understand, and to take something said or done in a certain way, to interpret.^[1] It also meant to receive guests, to treat or deal with someone, and to bear or suffer something unpleasant.^[1]

Its frequentative acceptāre “to receive willingly” gave Old French accepter and English accept in the late 14th century.^[7]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of taking hands.^[2][6]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of taking a bowl from someone's hand.^[5][6]
• 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses the old future accepsō.^[2][6]
• late 14th century – English accept is recorded, from acceptāre.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To take, receive (something offered).^[2]
2. To take into one's possession; to get, acquire.^[2]
3. To take charge of; to inherit.^[2]
4. To hear of, learn; to understand.^[1]
5. To take, interpret (in a certain way).^[1]
6. To entertain (guests); to treat, deal with.^[1]
7. To bear, suffer (something unpleasant).^[1]

Word family

• accepta
• acceptiō
• acceptō
• acceptor
• acceptorius
• acceptrīx
• acceptum
• superaccipiō

Related words

• capiō
• recipiō
• English accept
• English acceptable

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 i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com