accusative

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éd
2. Proto-Italic*ad
3. Proto-Italic*ad-
4. Latinad-
5. Proto-Italic*kaussā
6. Old Latincaussa
7. Latincausa
8. Latinaccūsō
9. Ancient Greekαἰτῐᾱτῐκή (aitĭātĭkḗ)
10. Latinaccūsātīvus
11. Anglo-Normanaccusatif
12. Latinaccūsātīvus
13. Middle Frenchacusatif
14. Latinaccūsātīvus
15. Middle Englishaccusative
16. English todayaccusative

First attested in the mid 15th century. From Middle English accusative, from Anglo-Norman accusatif or Middle French acusatif or from Latin accūsātīvus (“having been blamed”), from accūsō (“to blame”). Equivalent to accuse + -ative. The Latin form is a mistranslation of the Ancient Greek grammatical term αἰτιᾱτική (aitiātikḗ, “expressing an effect”). This term actually comes from αἰτιᾱτός (aitiātós, “caused”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, adjective suffix), but was reanalyzed as coming from αἰτιᾱ- (aitiā-), the stem of the verb αἰτιάομαι (aitiáomai, “to blame”), + -τῐκός (-tĭkós, verbal adjective suffix).