acquaintance

The story

1. Old French · derived fromacointier“to acquaint”
2. Old French · derived fromacointance“friendship, familiarity”
3. Anglo-Norman · derived fromaquaintaunce
4. Middle English · inherited fromaqueyntaunce
5. English todayacquaintance

From Middle English aqueyntaunce, from Anglo-Norman aquaintaunce, aqueintance, Old French acointance (“friendship, familiarity”), from Old French acointier (“to acquaint”). Compare French accointance. Morphologically acquaint + -ance.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 12th c. A state of being acquainted with a person; originally indicating friendship, intimacy, but now suggesting a slight knowledge less deep than that of friendship; acquaintanceship.
• from 14th c. A person or persons with whom one is acquainted.
• from 15th c. Such people collectively; one's circle of acquaintances (with plural concord).
• from 16th c. Personal knowledge (with a specific subject etc.).