acquaint
UK[əˈkweɪnt]US[əˈkweɪnt]
v
To make someone aware of or familiar with something.
v
To cause to know personally.
Morpheme Breakdown
ac
quaint
ac
to
quaint
knowing, clever, or skilled
Etymology
The word 'acquaint' entered English in the 13th century from Old French 'acointier', meaning 'to make known'. Its core components are the Latin prefix 'ad-' (to) and the root from 'cognoscere' (to learn, to know). The literal sense of "bringing someone to a state of knowing" is preserved in its modern meaning. Over time, the initial 'ad-' assimilated to 'ac-' before the 'q' of 'quaint', and the Old French form simplified the Latin 'cognitus' to 'cointe', which evolved into the English spelling 'quaint'. Thus, the word's journey encapsulates the process of making knowledge or familiarity approach another person.
Analysis
Structure: ac + quaint
- ac: A prefix from Latin 'ad-', meaning 'to' or 'toward'. It assimilates to 'ac-' before 'q'.
- quaint: A root from Old French 'cointe', meaning 'knowing, clever, or skilled', ultimately from Latin 'cognitus', the past participle of 'cognoscere' (to know).
Examples
Please acquaint yourself with the safety procedures before starting the machine.
I should acquaint you with the new members of the team.
The first chapter is designed to acquaint the reader with the basic concepts.