1520s, title given in France to "every one who wears an ecclesiastical dress" [Littré, quoted in OED], especially one having no assigned ecclesiastical duty but acting as a private tutor, etc., from French abbé (12c.), from Late Latin abbatem, accusative of abbas (see abbot). See Century Dictionary for distinctions.

1520s, "state of expectation," from Anglo-French abeiance "suspension," also "expectation (especially in a lawsuit)," from Old French abeance "aspiration, powerful desire," noun of condition from abeer "aspire after, gape, open wide," from à "at" (see ad-) + ba(y)er "be open," from Latin *batare "to yawn, gape" (see abash).

Originally in French a legal term, "condition of a person in expectation or hope of receiving property;" it turned around in English law to mean "condition of property temporarily without an owner" (1650s). Hence "state of suspended action or existence." The French verb baer is also the source of English bay (n.2) "recessed space," as in bay window.

1520s, "act of abolishing; state of being abolished," from French abolition or directly from Latin abolitionem (nominative abolitio) "an abolition, an annulling," noun of action from past-participle stem of abolere "destroy" (see abolish). Related: Abolitionary ("destructive"); abolitional ("pertaining to abolition").

Specific application to "opposition to the trans-Atlantic African slave trade" as a political question is first attested 1788. By 1823 abolition was being used in regard to proposals or arguments to end American slavery itself, and after 1832 this was the usual sense of the word until the effort was accomplished by the 13th Amendment (1865). The alternative noun abolishment (1540s) seems not to have acquired a special use in reference to slavery issues.

"abolish by authoritative act, repeal," 1520s, from Latin abrogatus, past participle of abrogare "to annul, repeal (a law)," from ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + rogare "propose (a law), ask, request," apparently a figurative use of a PIE verb meaning literally "to stretch out (the hand)," from root *reg- "move in a straight line." Form abrogen, from Old French abroger, is recorded from early 15c. Related: Abrogated; abrogating; abrogative.

1520s, "a holding off, refusal to do something," from French abstention (Old French astencion), from Late Latin abstentionem (nominative abstentio) "the act of retaining," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin abstinere/abstenere "withhold, keep back, keep off," from assimilated form of ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + tenere "to hold" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch"). As "a refraining from voting" by 1859.

1520s, "hasten the occurrence of;" 1590s, "make quicker" (implied in accelerating), from Latin acceleratus, past participle of accelerare "to hasten, quicken" (trans.), "make haste" (intrans.), from ad "to" (see ad-) + celerare "hasten," from celer "swift," which is perhaps from PIE *keli- "speeding" (see celerity). The intransitive sense of "go faster, become faster" in English is from 1640s. Related: Accelerated; accelerative.

"pronounce with accent or stress," 1520s, from French accenter, from Old French acenter "accentuate, stress," from acent (see accent (n.)). The meaning "mark with an accent sign" is from 1660s (implied in accented); the figurative sense of "mark emphatically" is by 1650s. Related: Accenting.

1520s, "to heap up" (transitive), from Latin accumulatus, past participle of accumulare "to heap up, amass," from ad "to," here perhaps emphatic (see ad-), + cumulare "heap up," from cumulus "heap" (from suffixed form of PIE root *keue- "to swell"). From 1759 in intransitive sense of "grow in size or number." Related: Accumulated; accumulating.

"a calling in of legal assistance," 1520s, from Latin advocationem (nominative advocatio) "a calling or summoning of legal assistance," in Medieval Latin "duty of defense or protection," noun of action from past-participle stem of advocare "to call, summon, invite; call to aid," from ad "to" (see ad-) + vocare "to call," which is related to vox (genitive vocis) "voice" (from PIE root *wekw- "to speak").

1520s, "to promise," from Old French afiancier "to pledge, promise, give one's word," from afiance (n.) "confidence, trust," from afier "to trust," from Late Latin affidare, from ad "to" (see ad-) + fidare "to trust," from fidus "faithful" (from PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade").

From mid-16c. especially "to promise in marriage." The earlier form of the word was affy (Middle English affien "to trust, have faith; have faith in" c. 1300), from Old French afier. Related: Affianced; affiancing.