Etymograph

English

accusation

Accusation comes from Latin accūsātiō ‘accusation, indictment’, and goes back to causa ‘cause, reason, account, lawsuit’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcausa‘cause, reason, account, lawsuit’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaccūsō‘blame, accuse’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaccūsātiō‘accusation, indictment’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400acusacion
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500accusacion
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1611accusation

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcausa‘cause, reason, account, lawsuit’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaccūsō‘blame, accuse’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaccūsātiō‘accusation, indictment’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400acusacion
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500accusacion
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1611accusation

Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “[They] set up over his head his accusation.”

Formed from accuse + -ation

Latin causa ‘cause, reason’

Latin accūsāre

Old French acuser ‘to accuse’

Middle English acusen

English accuse

first attested First attested in the late 14th century (as stated in the etymology)

The story

First attested in the late 14th century.

Linked words

through Latin causa ‘cause, reason, account, lawsuit’

because, cause, chose, chest, causal, inexcusable, causative, excusable, 24 more

through Latin accūsō ‘blame, accuse’

syllabus, 13 more

Today it means

noun The act of accusing.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Latin causa / accusation

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