achieve English · revision 4453

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1325|origins=la caput}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /əˈtʃiːv/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|acheven]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) [[bor|fro|achever|t=to finish, accomplish, complete]] (12th century),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from the phrase à chef (venir) “to come to a head, to an end”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021) or from Vulgar Latin *accapāre “to bring to a head”,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) from Latin ad “to” and caput “head”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[ine-pro|*kaput-|t=head]].^(Etymonline) The spelling achieve was influenced by the Old French variant achiever and by chief, the older form of chef.^(Barnhart 1988) It is related to [[chief]] and [[head]].^(Hoad 1986)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To bring to a successful end, carry out successfully: about 1325 in the OED,^(OED 1989) the early 14th century in Etymonline,^(Etymonline) about 1300 in Barnhart.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Late Latin caput had come to mean “end”, so ad caput venire meant “to come to an end”, and French venir à chef gave achever “to finish”.^(Etymonline) To bring to an end, and to come to an end, are obsolete senses from 1385 and 1393.^(OED 1989) To gain or acquire as a result of effort is from the late 14th century (1393 in the OED).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) ''Achievement'' is from 1475, in Caxton,^(Barnhart 1988) and ''achiever'' is later.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1325 – to carry out successfully.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1385 – to finish (obsolete).^(OED 1989)

+ * 1393 – to gain by effort.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1475 – ''achievement''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To carry out successfully; to [[accomplish]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To reach or gain by [[effort]]: ''achieve a goal''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To succeed in doing something.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[achievable]]

+ * [[achiever]]

+ * [[achieved]]

+ * [[achievement]]

+ * [[outachieve]]

+ * [[overachieve]]

+ * [[underachieve]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[chief]]

+ * [[chef]]

+ * [[head]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}