Etymology

accuse

ac·cuse
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Today it means: To find fault with, blame, censure. Full definition →

Middle English acusen ← Old French acuser ← Latin accūsāre
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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. Latinaccūsāre
  9. Old Frenchacuser
  10. Middle Englishacusen
  11. English todayaccuse

First attested around 1300. From Middle English acusen, from Old French acuser, from Latin accūsō (“to call to account, accuse”), from ad (“to”) + causa (“cause, lawsuit, reason”). Akin to cause. Displaced native English bewray and Old English sċyldan.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.