Where does “aid and abet” come from?
aid and abet (English) comes from English aid, from Middle English aiden, from Middle French ayder, from Old French aidier, from Latin adiūtō, from Latin -tō, from Latin -tus, from Proto-Italic -tus — Derives action nouns from verb roots.
aid and abet (English): To be an accessory or accomplice to someone in an illegal act
Definitions
- To be an accessory or accomplice to someone in an illegal act
Ancestry of “aid and abet”, step by step
aid and abet traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English aid
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | aid | Help; assistance; succor, relief; A helper; an... |
| 2 | Middle English | aiden | To aid |
| 3 | Middle French | ayder | to help; to aid |
| 4 | Old French | aidier | to help |
| 5 | Latin | adiūtō | to help, serve, assist |
| 6 | Latin | -tō | Forms here |
| 7 | Latin | -tus | Forms the past participle of verbs; Forms... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | -tus | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -tus | Derives action nouns from verb roots |
via English abet
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | abet | To urge on, stimulate something desirable; To... |
| 2 | Middle English | abetten | — |
| 3 | Old French | abeter | to entice |
| 4 | Old French | beter | to bait |
| 5 | Old Norse | beita | to graze; to allow, let, make bite; to steer or... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | baitō | That which is or can be bitten; food; bait |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyd- | to split |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰey- | bee |
via English AND
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | AND | Alternative form of ∧, the conjunction operator;... |
| 2 | Middle English | and | and, and then; however, yet, but, though. while;... |
| 3 | Old English | and | and; even; also |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | andi | in addition, furthermore, and |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énti | opposite; near; in front |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |