receive
/rɪˈsiːv/
verb
Origin
Latin
recipere — to take back
Overview
Meaning Now
- To be given, presented with, or paid something.
- To accept or take delivery of something.
- To experience or undergo something (such as an injury or an impact).
- To welcome or greet someone in a particular manner.
Literal older meaning
to take back
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English
Earliest form
receven
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word entered English via the Norman Conquest's influence on the language, replacing many Old English terms with French-derived vocabulary in formal and administrative contexts.
Evolution
- Latin
recipere
“to take back, to get, to receive”
From 're-' (back) + 'capere' (to take)
- Old French
receivre
“to receive, to accept”
Evolution of the Latin compound into Gallo-Romance
- Middle English
receven
“to receive, to accept”
Borrowed from Old French into English
Connections
Word parts
re-
prefix
back or again
ceive
root
to take (from Latin capere)
Related across languages
French
recevoir
to receive
Spanish
recibir
to receive
Italian
ricevere
to receive
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.