also re-acquire, "to get or gain anew, to obtain again," 1690s, from re- "back, again" + acquire. Related: Reacquired; reacquiring.

early 15c., prosecuten, "to follow up, pursue with a view to carry out or obtain" (some course or action), from Latin prosecutus, past participle of prosequi "follow after, accompany; chase, pursue; attack, assail, abuse," from pro- "forward" (see pro-) + sequi "follow" (from PIE root *sekw- (1) "to follow"). Meaning "bring to a court of law, seek to obtain by legal process" is recorded from 1570s. The Latin verb in Old French became prosequer, vulgarly porsuir, which passed to English as pursue.

"obtain goods or a service from an outside or foreign supplier; contract work to an outside entity," especially in reference to work and jobs going overseas, by 1981 (implied in outsourcing), from out- + source (v.). Related: Outsourced.

"filled with desire (for something), wishing to obtain," c. 1300, from Anglo-French desirous, Old French desirros (11c., Modern French désireux), from Vulgar Latin *desiderosus, from stem of Latin desiderare (see desire (v.)).

c. 1300, purchasen, "acquire, obtain; get, receive; procure, provide," also "accomplish or bring about; instigate; cause, contrive, plot; recruit, hire," from Anglo-French purchaser "go after," Old French porchacier "search for, procure; purchase; aim at, strive for, pursue eagerly" (11c., Modern French pourchasser), from pur- "forth" (possibly used here as an intensive prefix; see pur-) + Old French chacier "to run after, hunt, chase" (see chase (v.)).

Originally to obtain or receive as due in any way, including through merit or suffering; the specific sense of "acquire or secure by expenditure of money or its equivalent, pay money for, buy" is attested from mid-14c., though the word continued to be used for "to get by conquest in war, obtain as booty" up to 17c. Related: Purchased; purchasing.

late 14c., "descend from," from Old French deriver "to flow, pour out; derive, originate," from Latin derivare "to lead or draw off (a stream of water) from its source" (in Late Latin also "to derive"), from phrase de rivo (de "from" + rivus "stream," from PIE root *rei- "to run, flow").

From c. 1500 as "obtain by a process of reasoning." In reference to words, "arise by a process of word-formation," 1550s; meaning "trace or show derivation" is from c. 1600. General sense of "get, gain, obtain" (as from a source or origin) is from 1560s; that of "arise, spring" (from) a source or origin is from 1660s. Related: Derived; deriving.