Origins
The word 'acquire' entered English in the fifteenth century from Old French 'aquerir' (modern Frenchβββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ 'acquΓ©rir'), descended from Latin 'acquΔ«rere,' meaning 'to get in addition' or 'to accumulate.' The Latin verb combines 'ad-' (to, toward, in addition) with 'quaerere' (to seek, to ask for, to inquire). The literal sense is 'to seek toward' β to direct one's seeking at a target and obtain it.
Latin 'quaerere' is one of the great seeking-verbs of the Western vocabulary, and its English progeny are numerous. 'Require' (to seek back β to demand, from Latin 'requΔ«rere'), 'inquire' (to seek into β to investigate, from Latin 'inquΔ«rere'), 'query' (a seeking β a question), 'quest' (the act of seeking), 'question' (a thing sought β from Latin 'quaestiΕ'), 'request' (to seek again β to ask for), and 'conquer' (to seek together β to pursue and overcome, from Vulgar Latin *conquaerere) all descend from 'quaerere.' The English spelling with '-qu-' reflects the Latin original, while the pronunciation /kw/ has simplified to just /k/ in many descendants ('conquer').
The semantic range of 'acquire' in modern English is broad. One can acquire property (buy or receive it), acquire a language (learn it), acquire a taste (develop a preference over time), acquire a reputation (gradually come to be known for something), or acquire a company (purchase it). In each case, the common thread is that acquisition involves a process β something that was not possessed comes to be possessed through action or experience. This processual quality distinguishes 'acquire' from 'get' (which is more instantaneous) and from 'receive' (which is more passive).
Development
The phrase 'acquired taste' deserves etymological attention. It describes a preference that does not come naturally but must be developed through repeated exposure β coffee, olives, blue cheese, atonal music. The word 'acquired' here means 'sought out and obtained through effort,' contrasting with 'innate' or 'natural.' The implication is that taste, like property, can be actively pursued and accumulated.
In law, 'acquisition' has specific technical meanings. 'Acquisition of property' can occur by purchase, gift, inheritance, or adverse possession. 'Mergers and acquisitions' (M&A) is a standard term in corporate finance. In international law, 'acquisition of territory' involves distinct legal doctrines (discovery, occupation, conquest, cession, accretion). In each context, the Latin etymology holds: something was sought and obtained.
The word 'acquisitive' (eager to acquire things, materialistic) carries a negative connotation that 'acquire' itself does not. To acquire is neutral or positive; to be acquisitive is greedy. This asymmetry between verb and adjective reveals a cultural ambivalence about seeking: the act of acquiring is acceptable, but the disposition to acquire is suspect.
Proto-Indo-European Roots
The PIE ancestry of 'quaerere' is debated among historical linguists. Some connect it to a root *kΚ·ehβ- (to seek), but the derivation is not universally accepted. What is clear is that 'quaerere' has no obvious cognates outside Latin β it may be a Latin-internal formation or may derive from a root that left no other descendants. This isolation is unusual for such a productive verb and adds to its etymological interest.