accettare Italian · revision 37971

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1284, Florentine statute|origins=la capiō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /at.t͡ʃetˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''accettare''' (first-person singular present accètto, first-person singular past historic accettài, past participle accettàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|acceptō|alt=acceptāre|t=to receive, accept]], a learned word.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin verb is a frequentative of [[m|la|accipiō|t=to receive]], formed on its past participle [[m|la|acceptus]].^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011) Nocentini and Zingarelli analyse it instead as [[m|la|captō|t=to try to seize]], the frequentative of [[m|la|capiō|t=to take]], with the prefix [[m|la|ad-]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ The LEI finds the same Latin verb only as a learned word in the other Romance languages: [[fr|accepter]], [[es|aceptar]], [[pt|aceitar]], [[ca|acceptar]], [[fur|acetà]] and [[ro|accepta]], the last only from the 19th century.^(LEI|1, 265) In the Italian dialects it shows popular sound changes, as in [[vec|acetàr]], [[nap|azzettare]] and [[scn|accittari]].^(LEI|1, 265) Canello saw [[accattare]] as its popular doublet, but Körting derived that verb from [[la-vul|*accapitō|alt=*accappitare]].^(Körting 1907)

+

+ De Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*kap-i-]] for [[m|la|capiō]], perhaps from [[ine-pro|*kh₂p-i-]], though the root may not be Indo-European; it is related to [[got|𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽|tr=haban|t=to have]] and [[m|got|𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=hafjan|t=to lift]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is a Florentine statute from before 1284, where the verb means to consent to something offered and take it.^(TLIO)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) DELI's first date is Dante (before 1321) for receiving willingly what is offered: Dante writes “La tua preghiera è degna / di molta lode, e io però l'accetto” (Your prayer is worthy of much praise, and so I accept it).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Boccaccio (about 1336) used it for agreeing to someone's words or proposals, and a 14th-century commentary on Dante for admitting a person to a place or a religious order.^(DELI 1999) Old Italian also had ''accettare le persone'' “to show partiality”, and the TLIO records a sense “to make sure, ascertain”.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999) The legal sense of consenting to set up, change or end a legal relationship is recorded before 1555 in Pier Francesco Giambullari, and ''accettare una cambiale'', to undertake to pay a bill of exchange, belongs to the same field.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ The sense “to bear a misfortune calmly” is first found in Ada Negri in 1929, and the reflexive ''accettarsi'' “to accept oneself as one is” is recent.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Among the derivatives, ''accettabile'' goes back to Domenico Cavalca (before 1342) and ''accettazione'' to Giovanni Villani (before 1348); since 1970 the latter also names the reception desk of a hospital or office.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1284 – A Florentine statute uses ''accettare''.^(TLIO)

+ * About 1313 – Dante uses the verb in the ''Inferno''.^(LEI|1, 265)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * About 1336 – Boccaccio uses it for agreeing to a proposal.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1342 – ''Accettabile'' is recorded in Domenico Cavalca.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1555 – The legal sense appears in Pier Francesco Giambullari.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1749 – ''Inaccettabile'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1929 – Ada Negri uses it for bearing a misfortune calmly.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|accept]], to receive willingly what is offered: ''Ha accettato con piacere il nostro invito a cena.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To agree to do or undertake something: ''Alla fine ha accettato di guidare il progetto.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To [[m|en|admit]] a person into a group, often with ''come'' or ''per'': ''L'hanno accettata nel coro come soprano.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To accept as valid, to [[m|en|approve]]: ''La commissione non ha accettato il suo ricorso.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # To bear, to come to terms with something unpleasant: ''Ha accettato con calma la notizia del trasferimento.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(law, banking)'' To accept a [[m|en|bill of exchange]], undertaking to pay it when due.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''accettarsi'': to accept oneself, aware of one's limits.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[accettabile]]

+ * [[inaccettabile]]

+ * [[accettazione]]

+ * [[accettante]]

+ * [[accettatore]]

+ * [[riaccettare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[accetto]]

+ * [[capire]]

+ * [[la|accipiō]]

+ * [[fr|accepter]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Wiktionary records a rare homograph ''accettare'' “to cut with a hatchet”, formed from ''accetta'' “hatchet”; its present ''accétto'' has a closed /e/, while ''accètto'' “I accept” has an open one.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}