accept

Forms

accept n (plural accepte)^[1]

Etymology

It is a commercial term borrowed from German Akzept, with Latin acceptus (“received, accepted”) named beside it as its model.^[2][3][4][1] Tiktin and the DA give German alone as the source.^[5][6] DELR, which treats the noun in the family of accepta, takes the standard form from the neo-Latin acceptum and only the old variant acțept from the German word.^[7] The Latin form is the past participle of accipiō (“to receive”).^[8] Dimitrescu treats the newer sense “agreement, approval” as a back-formation from Romanian accepta.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR and Tiktin first record the word in Stamati's dictionary of 1851, as a banking and trade term.^[7][5] MDA2 cites I. C. Panțu's textbook of commercial correspondence (1904), which explains that the drawee who signs a bill “accepts” it and that the signed bill is called an accept.^[3][6]

Semantic evolution

The word started as a term of commercial law.^[5][10] It was first the drawee's signed undertaking to pay a bill of exchange when it fell due, and then the accepted bill itself.^[5][10] Later dictionaries describe it more broadly as a document by which someone undertakes to pay a debt at a set date.^[4][11]

From the late 20th century the press also used it in the general sense “consent, approval”, as in acceptul de a plăti “the agreement to pay”.^[9][12] DEX 2009 lists that sense as well.^[2]

Timeline

• 1851 – the commercial accept in Stamati's dictionary.^[7][5]
• 1904 – defined in Panțu's textbook of commercial correspondence.^[3][6]
• 1982 – acceptul de a plăti “the agreement to pay” in the press, the general sense.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. (finance) The written acceptance on a bill of exchange by which the person named by its drawer undertakes to pay the sum to the payee when it falls due; also the accepted bill itself.^[2][3][5]
2. consent, approval: Proiectul a primit acceptul ministerului.^[2][12][9]

Related words

• accepta
• Latin accipiō

Usage notes

DELR records the old variant acțept, modelled on the German pronunciation.^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 5
3. ^ a b c d Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 6
4. ^ a b Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România
5. ^ a b c d e f Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. accépt
6. ^ a b c Academia Română (1913–1949), Dicționarul limbii române (DA), ed. Sextil Pușcariu, tom I (A–B, C, D–De) and tom II (F–I, J–Lojniță), București: Socec / Universul / Monitorul Oficial și Imprimeriile Statului; page scans at cflr-scans.solirom.ro, p. s.v. accépt
7. ^ a b c d Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2011–), Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române (DELR), vol. I: A–B (2011), vol. II: C (2015–2018), București: Editura Academiei Române; continued online at delr.lingv.ro, p. s.v. acceptá
8. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
9. ^ a b c d Dimitrescu, Florica (1997), Dicționar de cuvinte recente, 2nd ed., București: Logos (with the 3rd ed., 2013, in CLRE)
10. ^ a b Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească
11. ^ Academia Republicii Populare Romîne (1958), Dicționarul limbii romîne moderne, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 1, 4
12. ^ a b Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual