accoutreaccouterv.

Etymology: < Middle French accoustrer, acoustrer, Middle French, French accoutrer to supply, put in place (13th cent. in Old French), to dress (1st half of the 15th cent.), to equip, to decorate (both late 15th cent.), of uncertain and disputed origin. Compare Old Occitan acotrar to equip, to prepare (14th cent.; Occitan acotrar to cultivate, to arrange, to prepare).A number suggestions have been made as to the origin of the French verb. Two of the most plausible involve development from (a) an unattested post-classical Latin form*accons(u)turare < classical Latin ac- ac- prefix + post-classical Latin consutura consuture n., and (b) a verb derived from Old French coutre blade of a plough (see coulter n.), although neither explanation is straightforward either semantically or phonologically. For further discussion of these and other hypotheses see Trésor de la langue française at accoutre. The early Scots form accomptir seems to have arisen from misreading (by minim confusion) of an original accouterit as acconterit , and misidentification of the resulting string accont- as a form of account n. or account v. (compare β. forms at those entries).