Etymologically
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recepta

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Forms

recepta f (genitive receptae); first declension[1][2] Niermeyer heads it together with a neuter receptum.[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin recipiō (“to take back, receive”), a noun use of the feminine of its past participle, “something received”.[2][3][4]

The Italian ricetta (“recipe”) continues it.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates the Medieval Latin noun from before 1178, after Latham's dictionary.[4] The earliest dated British quotations, from 1209 and 1218, use it of an amount of money received and of the harbouring of a felon.[2]

Semantic evolution

In medieval administration it named the collecting of taxes, the money taken in, and the account of it;[1][2] in England it also named the office of the Exchequer where the king's money was received, the Receipt.[2] Du Cange records the related sense of a treasury into which collected money was paid.[6]

In medicine it became the formula for preparing a remedy, a prescription,[1][2][6] the sense that passed into English as receipt “recipe”.[3] In law it also meant receiving stolen goods.[1]

Timeline

  • before 1178 – First recorded as a Medieval Latin noun.[4]
  • 1209 – A British account gives the total of money received.[2]
  • 1218 – A British record uses it of harbouring a felon.[2]
  • 1316 – A grant of tithes to the French king uses it of the collection of money.[6]
  • late 14th century – English takes over the Old French descendant as receit, “act of receiving; formula for a medicine”.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) The collection of taxes.[1][6]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Money received, a receipt; an account of money received.[1][2]
  3. (Medieval Latin) The office where money due to the king was received, the Receipt of the Exchequer.[2]
  4. (Medieval Latin, medicine) A prescription, a recipe for a remedy.[1][2][6]
  5. (Medieval Latin, law) The harbouring of a felon, or the receiving of stolen goods.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  6. ^ a b c d e du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre