Acceptum

Acceptum is a Latin term formed as the neuter singular perfect passive participle of the verb accipere, meaning “having been received.” In grammatical usage, acceptum can function adjectivally to modify a neuter noun or, less commonly, substantively as a noun indicating something that has been accepted or approved. In many medieval and post-classical Latin texts, the form appears in contexts where an object, document, or obligation has undergone acceptance or acknowledgment. The neuter form accepts as nominative and accusative in a single ending, reflecting its participial origin.

Etymology and structure: From accipere “to take, receive,” with the participial suffix -tum, producing the neuter form acceptum. The corresponding masculine and feminine forms are acceptus and accepta; acceptum is the neuter nominative or accusative. The word is closely related to acceptatio, the act of accepting, and to later legal terms such as acceptor in English.

Usage in sources: While not a common term in English-language scholarship, acceptum appears in Latin glossaries, translations, and diplomatic or legal documents to signify an item, document, or obligation that has received authorization or acknowledgment. In translation practice, acceptum is usually rendered as “accepted” or “the thing accepted,” depending on context. It is also discussed in studies of Latin legal vocabulary related to contracts, bills of exchange, and acknowledgments.

See also: accipere; acceptus; acceptatio; acceptance. Notes: because acceptum is a Latin form rather than an independent English word, its use is largely confined to linguistic, philological, or palaeographic discussions of Latin texts.