Where does “acquittal” come from?
I need to trace back from "acquittal" to find its etymology chain. However, the chain you've provided traces "acquit" → "aldehyde" → "Aldehyd", which doesn't connect to "acquittal." These are unrelated words. "Acquittal" comes from "acquit" (to declare not guilty), which derives from Old French "acquiter," from "a-" (to) + "quite" (free/clear), ultimately from Latin "quietus" (at rest, free from obligation). The chain you've given (acquit → aldehyde → Aldehyd) appears to be an error, as aldehyde is a chemistry term with no connection to acquittal. Could you please clarify: 1. Is the headword "acquit" or "acquittal"? 2. Is the etymology chain correct, or should it trace back through
acquittal (English): The act of fulfilling the duties; A legal...
Definitions
- The act of fulfilling the duties; A legal...
Ancestry of “acquittal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | acquit | To declare or find innocent or not guilty; To... |
| 2 | Middle English | aquī̆ten | To give in return; to pay or repay a debt or fee |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | acquitare | to settle a debt |
| 4 | Latin | ad- | to; usually prefixed to verbs, in which cases it... |
| 5 | Latin | īn- | un-, non-, not |
| 6 | Latin | în | in, at, on, upon, from (space) |
| 7 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |