acquisitio

Forms

acquīsītiō f (genitive acquīsītiōnis); third declension^[1] It is also spelled adquīsītiō.^[2]

Etymology

It is from acquīrō “to acquire” with the suffix -tiō, from ad- and quaerō “to seek”.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot cites Frontinus' De aquis for an increase in supply.^[4] The OLD also cites Ulpian, “acquisition”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant an additional source of supply, an increase, as of water in Frontinus, and acquisition, as in Ulpian and Tertullian.^[2][4][5]

British Medieval Latin used it for acquisition, getting, winning, of property, of immaterial things, and of souls.^[6] Through Old French acquisicion it gave English acquisition in the late 14th century, “act of obtaining”.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 100 AD – Frontinus uses it of an increase in supply.^[4]
• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it.^[5][7]
• late 14th century – English acquisition is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. Acquisition.^[2]
2. An increase, an additional supply.^[2][4]

Related words

• acquīrō
• quaerō
• English acquisition

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de