apreciar

Forms

apreciar (first-person singular present aprecio, first-person singular preterite apreciei, past participle apreciado)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin appretiō (“to value, set a price on”), recorded in Portuguese from 1583.^[2][1][3] Houaiss calls the Latin verb imperial; the Academia's dictionary calls it Late Latin.^[2][3] Cunha's date for the word is 1844.^[4] It is formed from ad- and pretium (“price, value”).^[1][5]

The popular verb of the same origin is apreçar, recorded from the 13th century.^[6] Machado derives both verbs from the Latin one, while Houaiss treats the popular verb as formed in Portuguese from preço.^[7][8]

The Latin noun goes back to *pretio- (“exchange value”) and Proto-Indo-European *preti (“against”), the source also of Sanskrit प्रति (práti) and Ancient Greek προτί (protí).^[9][1] The verb corresponds to Spanish apreciar, recorded about 1140, and Italian apprezzare;^[10][1] English appreciate has the same Latin source.^[10][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Houaiss's earliest date, 1012, is a Latin charter: una mula apreziada in centum solidos “a mule valued at a hundred solidi”, with the participle.^[2][7] In Portuguese texts the verb is recorded from 1583.^[2] The first sense was to set a price on or estimate the value of something.^[2][11]

Semantic evolution

Vieira's dictionary gives the senses to esteem, value, judge and praise, and notes that in older use it meant the same as apreçar, to price, quoting the Constitutions of Braga on officials who must not “sell or price” an act of their jurisdiction.^[12] From valuing, the verb came to mean to examine and weigh (apreciar os prós e os contras), to hold in esteem, and to take pleasure in something seen or tasted.^[2][13][3] In economics it is used pronominally of a currency that gains value.^[14]

Timeline

• 1012 – a Latin charter has the participle apreziada “valued”.^[7]
• 13th century – first record of the popular verb apreçar.^[6]
• 1583 – first record of apreciar.^[2]
• 1844 – Cunha's date for the word.^[4]
• 1871–1874 – Vieira lists the old sense “to price” beside “to esteem, judge”.^[12]
• 1899 – Figueiredo derives it from Latin ad and pretium.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To estimate or assess; to judge the value or extent of something.^[2][13]
2. To examine and weigh; to consider.^[2][13][15]
3. To appreciate; to value, esteem, think highly of; prezar.^[2][13][1]
4. To enjoy; to look at or taste something with pleasure.^[2][16][1]
5. (economics, pronominal) Of a currency: to rise in value.^[14]

Word family

• apreciação
• apreciável
• apreciador

Related words

• precioso
• preço
• apreçar
• apreço
• prezar
• Latin pretium
• Spanish apreciar

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Houaiss, Antônio; Villar, Mauro de Salles (2001), Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, p. s.v. apreciar
3. ^ a b c Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, revised online edition (2023–) of the Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa Contemporânea (2001), https://dicionario.acad-ciencias.pt, p. s.v. apreciar
4. ^ a b Cunha, Antônio Geraldo da (2010), Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa, 4th ed., Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, p. s.v. apreciar
5. ^ a b Figueiredo, Cândido de (1899), Novo diccionário da língua portuguesa, 1st ed., 2 vols., Lisboa: Tavares Cardoso & Irmão, p. 115
6. ^ a b Cunha, Antônio Geraldo da (2010), Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa, 4th ed., Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, p. s.v. apreçar
7. ^ a b c Machado, José Pedro (1987), Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa, 4th ed., 5 vols., Lisboa: Livros Horizonte, p. s.v. apreçar
8. ^ Houaiss, Antônio; Villar, Mauro de Salles (2001), Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, p. s.v. apreçar
9. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
10. ^ a b Corominas, Joan (1973), Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. precio
11. ^ Wikcionário (Portuguese Wiktionary), pt.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. apreciar
12. ^ a b Vieira, Frei Domingos (1871–1874), Grande Diccionario Portuguez ou Thesouro da lingua portugueza, 5 vols., Porto: Ernesto Chardron e Bartholomeu H. de Moraes, p. 1, 507
13. ^ a b c d Ferreira, Aurélio Buarque de Holanda, Novo dicionário Aurélio da língua portuguesa, digital edition, p. s.v. apreciar
14. ^ a b Porto Editora (2013), Grande Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, Porto: Porto Editora, p. 824
15. ^ Michaelis: Moderno Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, São Paulo: Melhoramentos (online as Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa, https://michaelis.uol.com.br), p. s.v. apreciar
16. ^ Aulete, Francisco Júlio Caldas, Dicionário contemporâneo da língua portuguesa (1st ed. 1881), online as Aulete Digital, Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, https://aulete.com.br, p. s.v. apreciar