accompany | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

22 entries found.

early 15c., "to be in company with," from Old French acompaignier "take as a companion" (12c., Modern French accompagner), from à "to" (see ad-) + compaignier, from compaign (see companion). Musical meaning "play or sing along with" is from 1570s. Related: Accompanied; accompanying.

accompanist (n.)

"performer who takes the accompanying part in music," 1779, from accompany + -ist. Fowler prefers accompanyist.

accompanying (adj.)

"going along with, adjoining," by 1782, present-participle adjective from accompany (v.).

accompaniment (n.)

1744 in music (1731 as a term in heraldry), from French accompagnement (13c.), from accompagner (see accompany).

unaccompanied (adj.)

1540s, "not in the company of others, having no companions," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of accompany (v.). Musical sense "without instrumental accompaniment" is first recorded 1818.

convey (v.)

early 14c., conveien, "to go along with;" late 14c., "to carry, transport;" from Anglo-French conveier, Old French convoiier "to accompany, escort" (Modern French convoyer), from Vulgar Latin *conviare "to accompany on the way," from assimilated form of Latin com "with, together" (see con-) + via "way, road" (from PIE root *wegh- "to go, move, transport in a vehicle").

Meaning "communicate by transmission" is from late 14c. Sense of "act of transferring property from one person to another" is from 1520s. It was a euphemism for "steal" 15c.-17c., which helped broaden its meaning. Related: Conveyed; conveying.

sauce (v.)

mid-15c., "to season (food), add a sauce or relish to," from sauce (n.). By 1510s in the figurative sense of "intermix or accompany with what gives piquancy or relish." From 1862 as "to speak to impertinently, treat with impertinence." Related: Sauced; saucing.

ballad (n.)

late 15c., from Old French ballade "dancing song" (13c.), from Old Provençal ballada "(poem for a) dance," from balar "to dance," from Late Latin ballare "to dance" (see ball (n.2)). Originally a song intended to accompany a dance; later "a short narrative poem suitable for singing" (17c.).

attend (v.)

c. 1300, "be subject to" (obsolete); early 14c., "direct one's mind or energies" (archaic), from Old French atendre "to expect, wait for, pay attention" (12c., Modern French attendre) and directly from Latin attendere "give heed to," literally "to stretch toward," from ad "to, toward" (see ad-) + tendere "stretch," from PIE root *ten- "to stretch." The notion is of "stretching" one's mind toward something.

Sense of "take care of, wait upon" is from mid-14c.; that of "endeavor to do" is from c. 1400. Meaning "to pay attention" is from early 15c.; that of "accompany and render service to" (someone) is from mid-15c., as is that of "be in attendance." Meaning "to accompany or follow as a consequent" is from 1610s. Related: Attended; attending.

psychopomp (n.)

"guide or conductor of spirits or souls to the other world," 1835, from Greek psykhopompos "spirit-guide," a term applied to Charon, Hermes Trismegistos, Apollo, etc.; from psykhē "the soul, mind, spirit" (see psyche) + pompos "guide, conductor, escort, messenger," from pempein "to send, dispatch, guide, accompany," which is of unknown origin. "The verb has no IE etymology, nor does it show characteristics of loanwords or Pre-Greek vocabulary" [Beekes].

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