early 15c., from Old French imputer, emputer (14c.) and directly from Latin imputare "to reckon, make account of, charge, ascribe," from assimilated form of in- "in, into" (from PIE root *en "in") + putare "to trim, prune; reckon, clear up, settle (an account)," from PIE *puto- "cut, struck," suffixed form of root *pau- (2) "to cut, strike, stamp." Related: Imputed; imputing.
"having the knowledge and ability which comes from experience," 1550s, past-participle adjective from skill (v.) "to have personal and practical knowledge" (c. 1200), which is from Old Norse skilja "to separate, part, divide; break off, break up; part company, take leave; discern, distinguish; understand, find out; decide, settle," from the source of skill (n.).
late 14c., "to settle a dispute, determine a controversy," from Old French decider, from Latin decidere "to decide, determine," literally "to cut off," from de "off" (see de-) + caedere "to cut" (from PIE root *kae-id- "to strike"). For Latin vowel change, see acquisition. Sense is of resolving difficulties "at a stroke." Meaning "to make up one's mind" is attested from 1830. Related: Decided; deciding.
1580s, back-formation from transaction, or else from Latin transactus, past participle of transigere "to drive through, accomplish, bring to an end, settle," from trans "across, beyond; through" (see trans-) + agere "to set in motion, drive, drive forward," hence "to do, perform" (from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move"). Related: Transacted; transacting.
"to quit one country, state, or region and settle in another," 1778, a back-formation from emigration, or else from Latin emigratus, past participle of emigrare "move away, depart from a place," from assimilated form of ex "out" (see ex-) + migrare "to move" (from PIE root *mei- (1) "to change, go, move"). In 19c. U.S., also "to remove from one state to another state or territory." Related: Emigrated; emigrating.
1620s, "to settle with colonists, plant or establish a colony in," from stem of Latin colonus "tiller of the soil, farmer" (see colony). From 1630s as "to migrate to and settle in." It is attested by 1790s in the sense of "to make another place into a national dependency" without regard for settlement there (such as in reference to French activity in Egypt or the British in India), and in this sense it is probably directly from colony.
No principle ought ever to be tolerated or acted upon, that does not proceed on the basis of India being considered as the temporary residence of a great British Establishment, for the good government of the country, upon steady and uniform principles, and of a large British factory, for the beneficial management of its trade, upon rules applicable to the state and manners of the country. [Henry Dundas, Chairman of the East-India Company, letter, April 2, 1800]
Related: Colonized; colonizing.
"leaning, reclining," 1705, from Latin recumbentem (nominative recumbens), present participle of recumbere "recline, lie down, lie down again;" of things, "to fall, sink down, settle down," from re- "back" (see re-) + -cumbere "to lie down" (related to cubare "lie down;" see cubicle). Related: Recumbency (1640s); recumbence (1670s). A verb, recumb, has been attempted in English occasionally since 1670s.
early 15c., situacioun, "place, position, or location," from Old French situacion or directly from Medieval Latin situationem (nominative situatio) "a position, situation," noun of action from past-participle stem of situare "to place, locate," from Latin situs "a place, position" (from PIE root *tkei- "to settle, dwell, be home").
The meaning "state of affairs, position with reference to circumstances" is from 1710; the meaning "employment, post, office" is by 1803. For situation comedy, see sitcom.
Old English besettan "to put, place; own, keep; occupy, settle; cover, surround with, besiege," from Proto-Germanic *bisatjan (source also of Old Saxon bisettjan, Dutch bezetten, Old High German bisezzan, German besetzen, Gothic bisatjan); see be- + set (v.). The figurative sense "to press upon vigorously from all sides" also was in Old English. Related: Beset (past tense); besetting.
mid-14c., "to crush;" early 15c., "crouch on the heels," from Old French esquatir, escatir "compress, press down, lay flat, crush," from es- "out" (see ex-) + Old French quatir "press down, flatten," from Vulgar Latin *coactire "press together, force," from Latin coactus, past participle of cogere "to compel, curdle, collect" (see cogent). Meaning "to settle on land without any title or right" is from 1800. Related: Squatted; squatting.
