appoint etymology

Etymology

  • Middle English: apointen, from Anglo-Norman French: apointer, from Latin: appunctare, from appunctus, past participle of appungere, from ad "to" + pungere "to prick"
  • Old English: gestihtan, from ge- ("together") + stihtan ("to set")

Meaning

  1. To officially select or designate someone for a specific position, task, or role.
  2. To fix or determine something, especially a date, time, or place.
  3. To prepare or equip someone with what is needed for a specific purpose.

Origin

The word "appoint" has two primary origins:

Latin:

  • The Latin verb "appunctare" means "to prick," and is derived from the roots "ad" (to) and "pungere" (to prick). In the legal sense, it was used to refer to the act of marking a document with a puncture to indicate its authenticity or validity. From this, "appunctare" came to mean "to designate" or "to appoint."

Old English:

  • The Old English verb "gestihtan" means "to set" or "to establish," and is derived from the roots "ge-" (together) and "stihtan" (to set). It was used in a variety of contexts, including to set up a household, to establish a law, or to appoint someone to a position.

Over time, the two origins of "appoint" merged, giving rise to the modern meaning of "to select or designate for a specific purpose or position."

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