Etymology

act

A1C3T1

Today it means: An instance of a certain standardized college admissions test in the United States, originally called the American College Test. Full definition →

Middle English acte ← Old French act ← Latin ācta
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act · noun, verb1

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eǵ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éǵeti
  3. Proto-Italic*agō
  4. Latinagō
  5. Latināctus
  6. Latinācta
  7. Old Frenchact
  8. Middle Englishacte
  9. English todayact

From Middle English acte, from Old French acte, from Latin ācta (“register of events”), plural of āctum (“decree, law”), from agere (“to do, to act”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti. Compare German Akte (“file”). Partially displaced deed, from Old English dǣd (“act, deed”).

act · adverb2

Clipping of actually.

Words from the same roots

Old Frenchacte all →

enact

Proto-Indo-European*h₂éǵeti all →

actionactiveactualobjurgate

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.