Verbum Hodiernum: ACCIPIO

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ACCIPIO Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is ACCIPIO, a third conjugation verb: accipio, accipere, accepi, acceptus. It is a compound of ad- plus the verb capio. As you would expect the "d' in the ad-c combination assimilates to ac-c with vowel reduction: ad-capio = accipio.

The meaning is what you would expect: "to take to oneself, take possession of, accept, receive." It can also have the metaphorical meaning of "grasping, comprehending, understanding" (something like "getting it" in English).

Of course, from this Latin word we get "accept" in English via the Latin frequentative form of the verb: acceptare.

Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs; for more information, see the page at the Scala Sapientiae, which contains notes on some of the proverbs cited below, as well as additional proverbs:

Da et accipe.

Da, si vis accipere.

Dare Deo accipere est.

Quod datur, accipe.

Petite, et accepietis.

Accipe quod tuum alterique da suum.

Gratis accepistis; gratis date.

Quae gratis accepimus, gratis demus.

Gratis dare debemus, quae gratis accepimus.

Simul da, simul accipe.

Dare melius est quam accipere.

Beatius est dare quam accipere.

Qui nihil audet, nihil accipit.

Qui nimium petit, nihil accipit.

Divinum dare, humanum accipere.

Omnes qui acceperint gladium, gladio peribunt.

Necessitas dat legem, non ipsa accipit.

Argentum accepi, imperium perdidi.

Melius est iniuriam accipere quam facere.

Accipere praestat quam inferre iniuriam.