also re-acquisition, "act of acquiring anew; that which is reacquired," 1796, from re- "back, again" + acquisition or else a noun formed to go with reacquire.
late 14c., variant of errant (q.v.); at first merely derogatory, "wandering, vagrant;" then (16c.) gradually losing its opprobrious force and acquiring a meaning "thoroughgoing, downright, notorious."
1540s, "action of acquiring by effort, act of reaching by exertion," from French atteignement, from attaindre "to come up to, reach, attain, endeavor, strive" (see attain). The sense of "that which is attained, personal accomplishment" dates from 1670s.
Old English leornung "study, action of acquiring knowledge," verbal noun from leornian (see learn). Meaning "knowledge acquired by systematic study, extensive literary and scientific culture" is from mid-14c. Learning curve attested by 1907.
"one working under supervision as part of professional training," originally "assistant resident physician, doctor in training in a hospital," 1879, American English, from French interne "assistant doctor," noun use of interne "internal," from Latin internus "within, inward" (see internal). Extended to other professions (originally teaching) from 1963 in reference to one under training and acquiring practical experience.
mid-12c., crafti, "skillful, clever, learned," from Old English cræftig "strong, powerful," later "skillful, ingenious," acquiring after c. 1200 a bad sense of "cunning, sly, skillful in scheming," the main modern sense (but through 15c. also "skillfully done or made; intelligent, learned; artful, scientific"); see craft (n.) + -y (2). Perhaps to retain a distinctly positive sense, Middle English also used craftious as "skillful, artistic" (mid-15c.). Related: Craftily; craftiness.
1550s, a shortened form of goodwife, a term of civility applied to a married woman in humble life; hence Goody Two-shoes, name of the heroine in 1760s children's story ("The History of little Goody Two Shoes; otherwise called Mrs. Margery Two Shoes") who exulted upon acquiring a second shoe.
"to get or gain, obtain," mid-15c., acqueren, from Old French aquerre "acquire, gain, earn, procure" (12c., Modern French acquérir), from Vulgar Latin *acquaerere, corresponding to Latin acquirere/adquirere "to get in addition to, accumulate, gain," from ad "to," here perhaps emphatic (see ad-), + quaerere "to seek to obtain" (see query (v.)). Reborrowed in current form from Latin c. 1600. Related: Acquired; acquiring.
