English
cater
Cater comes from Old French acater ‘to buy, to purchase’, from Latin capto ‘to strive to seize, catch or grasp at’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kapyéti‘to be grasping’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kapjō‘to take, seize’reconstructed
- Archaic Latinc. 700–75 BCEkapiō
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapiō‘take, capture’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapto‘to strive to seize, catch or grasp at’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*accaptāre‘purchase’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400acater‘to buy, to purchase’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500catour‘acater, provisioner’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1400cater
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kapyéti‘to be grasping’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kapjō‘to take, seize’reconstructed
- Archaic Latinc. 700–75 BCEkapiō
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapiō‘take, capture’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapto‘to strive to seize, catch or grasp at’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*accaptāre‘purchase’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400acater‘to buy, to purchase’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500catour‘acater, provisioner’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1400cater
Earliest quotation: c. 1400, Gamelyn: “I am oure Catour and bere oure Alther purse.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap-
had, head, except, heavy, capital, behavior, captain, achieve, heavily, capacity, escape, catch, chef, chapter, acceptance, haven, chapel, occupation, behave, cape, cabin, hawk, capitol, cattle, capita, precipitation, captive, chaplain, conceive, captivity, mischief, conceivable, mischievous, cad, haves, chieftain, capillary, occipital, acceptability, heaviness, 138 more
through Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti ‘to be grasping’
through Proto-Italic *kapjō ‘to take, seize’
case, chassis, capsule, cashier, casket, cassette, kas, cajon, chasse, 27 more
through Archaic Latin kapiō
acceptable, imperceptible, 23 more
through Latin capiō ‘take, capture’
accept, receive, cash, capable, cop, cable, recipe, reception, capture, perception, recipient, susceptible, deception, anticipation, caption, deceive, anticipate, deceptive, deceit, receivable, preoccupation, perceptible, captor, preceptor, captivate, 25 more
through Latin capto ‘to strive to seize, catch or grasp at’
Another origin of cater
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷetwóres‘four’uncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEquattuor‘four’uncertain
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400quatre‘four’uncertain
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘four’uncertain
- Englishtodaycater
Probably ultimately from French quatre (‘four’), possibly via cater (‘change-ringing’), although Liberman argues for a derivation from a North Germanic prefix meaning "crooked, angled, clumsy" from which he also derives cater-cousin and, via Norse, Old Irish cittach (‘left-handed, awkward’). He finds this more likely than extension of the dice and change-ringing term cater as an adverb, given the likely cognates in other Germanic languages. Caterpillar and caterwaul are unrelated, being derived from cognates to cat, but may have influenced the pronunciation of Liberman's proposed earlier *cate- or undergone similar sound changes.
Another origin of cater
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷetwóres‘four’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEquattuor‘four’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400quatre‘four’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘four’
- Englishtodaycater
Today it means
verb To provide, particularly
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kap- / cater