English
unaccusativity
Unaccusativity comes from Latin accūsō ‘to blame, reproach, make a complaint against,…’, and goes back to causa ‘cause, reason’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcausa‘cause, reason’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaccūsō‘to blame, reproach, make a complaint against, find fault with’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaccūsātīvus
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500accusative
- English1500–presentsame form
- Englishtodayunaccusativity
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcausa‘cause, reason’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaccūsō‘to blame, reproach, make a complaint against, find fault with’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaccūsātīvus
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500accusative
- English1500–presentsame form
- Englishtodayunaccusativity
A compound of un- + accusative + -ity
Proto-Indo-European *n̥- ‘not, un-’
Proto-Germanic *un- ‘not, un-’
Proto-West Germanic *un- ‘not, un-’
English un-
Latin causa ‘cause, reason’
Latin accūsō ‘to indict, accuse, arraign, charge’
Latin accūsātīvus
Middle English accusative
English accusative
Linked words
through Latin causa ‘cause, reason’
because, cause, chose, chest, accuse, causal, inexcusable, causative, excusable, 20 more
through Latin accūsō ‘to blame, reproach, make a complaint against,…’
through Latin accūsātīvus
through Middle English accusative
Today it means
noun The state or property of being unaccusative.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin causa / unaccusativity