Acointen

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. An archaic Middle English verb meaning to make a person known to or familiar with someone or something
2. Used in older English to describe introducing or bringing someone into familiarity with a person, thing, or matter
3. A medieval verb for making oneself or another person acquainted with a particular person, place, or subject

Etymology: "Acointen" is a Middle English verb meaning to make known, to introduce, or to become familiar with someone. It came into English from Anglo-Norman and Old French "acointer," which sprang from a Vulgar Latin verb "accognitare," built from "ad-" ("to") and "cognitare," a relative of "cognoscere," "to know." The idea of knowing something thoroughly passed into the sense of knowing a person socially. Its descendants are still with us, though changed. Later English writers reshaped the spelling to "acquaint" and "acquaintance," adding a "qu" that reflects the Latin "cognitus" more visibly than the French form did. The Middle English original, "acointe," also survived as an adjective meaning acquainted or familiar. Today's "acquaint" is therefore the same word, respelled to look more Latin.