abet English · revision 1633

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /əˈbɛt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|abetten]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate) [[bor|fro|abeter|t=to bait, to harass with dogs]],^(AHD)^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) from ''a-'' “to” (from [[la|ad-]]) and ''beter'' “to bait”.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) The French verb is of Germanic origin,^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995) probably [[frk|bētan|t=to incite]] or [[non|beita|t=to cause to bite]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) so that the literal sense was “to cause to bite”.^(Etymonline) It is related to [[bait]] and [[bite]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To urge on or stir up a person to do something (about 1380).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the hunting picture of setting dogs on to bite, the verb came to mean urging someone on in general.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) By 1590 it had taken a bad sense, inciting or encouraging someone to commit a crime,^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989) and from 1779 it was used of encouraging or countenancing the offence itself.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) The good sense of supporting a cause is now obsolete,^(OED 1989) and the word survives mostly in the legal phrase ''[[aid]] and abet''.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * about 1315 – noun ''abet'', fraud or cunning, now obsolete.^(OED 1989)

+ * about 1380 – verb, to urge on or incite.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1590 – to instigate or encourage a person in a crime.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1596 – to support a cause or opinion, now obsolete.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1779 – to encourage or countenance an offence.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To encourage or [[assist]] someone, especially in [[wrongdoing]].^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)^(AHD)

+ # To support or promote an activity or plan.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[abetment]]

+ * [[abettor]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House gives ''help'', ''aid'', ''assist'' and ''promote'' as synonyms, and ''hinder'' and ''discourage'' as antonyms.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}