Origin and history of accept

raptorial bird, 1708, from Latin accipiter, a generic name for birds of prey, especially the common hawk. According to de Vaan, "generally assumed" to be from a Proto-Italic *aku-petri- "having pointed (that is, 'swift') wings" (see acro- + ptero-) and compares Greek okypteros "w

c. 1300, "reject, spurn, decline" a request, demand, invitation, etc.; also intransitive, "to make refusal;" from Old French refuser "reject, disregard, avoid" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *refusare, a frequentative verb from the past-participle stem of Latin refundere "give back, r

"to deem worthy or fit" (source of Italian degnare, Spanish deñar), from dignus "worthy," from PIE root *dek- "to take, accept...Sense of "take or accept graciously" led to that of "condescend" (1580s), with an infinitive for an object....

stem of dokimazein "to test, prove," from dokimos "proven, genuine," literally "accepted," related to dekhesthai "to take, accept...," which is probably from PIE root *dek- "to take, accept."...

Charles Marsh (1831-1899) from Greek diploos "double" (see diplo-) + dokos "a bearing-beam," connected to dekomai "to take, accept...as an agent-noun, so, properly, "which takes on (the load or covering)," from suffixed form of PIE root *dek- "to take, accept...

c. 1300, receiven, "take into one's possession, accept possession of," also in reference to the sacrament, from Old North...French receivre (Old French recoivre) "seize, take hold of, pick up; welcome, accept," from Latin recipere "regain, take...From late 14c. as "accept as authoritative or true;" also late 14c. as "have a blow or wound inflicted."...

late 14c., "relationship, relation; regard, consideration" (as in in respect to), from Old French respect and directly from Latin respectus "regard, a looking at," literally "act of looking back (or often) at one," noun use of past participle of respicere "look back at, regard, c

"staff of office peculiar to royalty or independent sovereignty," c. 1300, ceptre, from Old French ceptre, sceptre (12c.) and directly from Latin sceptrum "royal staff," from Greek skēptron "staff to lean on," in a Persian and Asian context, "royal scepter," in transferred use, "

"to come up to, catch up with, catch in pursuit," early 13c., from over- + take (v.). According to OED (1989), originally "the running down and catching of a fugitive or beast of chase"; the editors find the sense of over- in this word "not so clear." The meaning "take by surpris