accuse

accuse
\ \ [13] Accuse comes via Old French acuser from the Latin verb accūsāre, which was based on the noun causa ‘cause’ – but cause in the sense not of ‘something that produces a result’, but of ‘legal action’ (a meaning preserved in English cause list, for instance).
\ \ Hence accūsāre was to ‘call someone to account for their actions’.
\ \ The grammatical term accusative [15] (denoting the case of the object of a verb in Latin and other languages) is derived ultimately from accūsāre, but it arose originally owing to a mistranslation. The Greek term for this case was ptósis aitiātiké ‘case denoting causation’ – a reasonable description of the function of the accusative. Unfortunately the Greek verb aitiásthai also meant ‘accuse’, and it was this sense that Latin grammarians chose to render when adopting the term.
\ \ Cf.⇒ CAUSE, EXCUSE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • accusé — accusé, ée [ akyze ] n. • XIIIe; de accuser 1 ♦ Personne à qui on impute une faute, un délit (⇒aussi inculpé, prévenu). L accusé bénéficie jusqu au jugement de la présomption d innocence. Dr. Inculpé qu un arrêt de la Chambre d accusation a… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • accusé — accusé, ée (a ku zé, zée) 1°   Part. passé. Accusé d un crime. Accusé d aspirer au trône. •   Les vents, les mêmes vents si longtemps accusés Ne te couvriront pas de ses vaisseaux brisés ?, RAC. Iph. V, 4. •   Un homme, justement accusé d… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Accuse — Ac*cuse , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Accused}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Accusing}.] [OF. acuser, F. accuser, L. accusare, to call to account, accuse; ad + causa cause, lawsuit. Cf. {Cause}.] 1. To charge with, or declare to have committed, a crime or offense;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • accuse — ac·cuse vb ac·cused, ac·cus·ing [Latin accusare to find fault with, charge with a crime, from ad to, at + causa legal case, trial] vt: to charge with an offense judicially or by a public process compare indict vi: to make or bring an accusation… …   Law dictionary

  • accusé — Accusé, [accus]ée. part. Il a les significations de son verbe. Accusé de meurtre, de vol, &c. Il est quelquefois substantif. L Accusateur & l accusé. tout accusé n est pas coupable …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • accuse — accuse, charge, incriminate, indict, impeach, arraign denote in common to declare a person guilty of a fault or offense. Accuse is typically immediate and personal and often suggests directness or sharpness of imputation or censure; charge… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • accuse — [ə kyo͞oz′] vt. accused, accusing [ME acusen < OFr acuser < L accusare, to call to account < ad , to + causa, CAUSE] 1. to find at fault; blame 2. to bring formal charges against (of doing wrong, breaking the law, etc.) the accused Law… …   English World dictionary

  • accuse — UK US /əˈkjuːz/ verb [T] LAW ► to say that someone has done something wrong or illegal: accuse sb of (doing) sth »He is accused of misleading investors and lenders about the financial health of the company …   Financial and business terms

  • accuse — (v.) c.1300, charge (with an offense, etc.), impugn, blame, from O.Fr. acuser to accuse, indict, reproach, blame (13c.), earlier announce, report, disclose (12c.), or directly from L. accusare to call to account, from ad against (see AD (Cf. ad… …   Etymology dictionary

  • accuse — ► VERB (often accuse of) 1) charge with an offence or crime. 2) claim that (someone) has done (something wrong). DERIVATIVES accusatory adjective accuser noun. ORIGIN Latin accusare call to account , from causa reason, motive, lawsuit …   English terms dictionary

  • Accuse — Ac*cuse , n. Accusation. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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