attach

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle English attachen, from Old French atachier, variant of estachier (“bind”), derived from estache (“stick”), from Frankish *stakkā, *stakō (“stick”), from Proto-Germanic *stakô (“pole, bar, stick, stake”). Doublet of attack. More at stake, stack.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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attach (third-person singular simple present attaches, present participle attaching, simple past and past participle attached)

  1. (transitive) To fasten, to join to (literally and figuratively).
    Synonyms: connect, annex, affix, unite; see also Thesaurus:join
    Antonyms: detach, unfasten, disengage, separate; see also Thesaurus:disconnect
    You need to attach the carabiner to your harness.
    An officer is attached to a certain regiment, company, or ship.
  2. (intransitive) To adhere; to be attached.
    Synonyms: cling, stick; see also Thesaurus:adhere
    • 1838, Henry Brougham, Political Philosophy:
      The great interest which attaches to the mere knowledge of these facts cannot be doubted.
  3. To include an attachment with a communication (especially an email or other electronic communication).
    I've attached the contract to this email.
  4. To come into legal operation in connection with anything; to vest.
    Dower will attach.
    • 1886, Thomas M. Cooley, A Treatise on the Law of Taxation:
      it therefore becomes important to know at what time the lien for taxes will attach.
  5. To win the heart of; to connect by ties of love or self-interest; to attract; to fasten or bind by moral influence; with to.
    attached to a friend; attaching others to us by wealth or flattery
  6. To connect, in a figurative sense; to ascribe or attribute; to affix; with to.
    to attach great importance to a particular circumstance
    • 1879, Bayard Taylor, Studies in German Literature:
      To this treasure a curse is attached.
  7. (obsolete) To take, seize, or lay hold of.
  8. (obsolete, law) To arrest, seize.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Anagrams

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Old Irish

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From ad- + a Celtic pre-form tekʷom. The meaning "refuge" (attested mainly in the Milan glosses, where it is its only sense) is believed to be the original meaning, with its related literal sense vanishing from its associated verb before Old Irish.

Noun

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attach n (genitive ataig)

  1. refuge
    • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 66d1
      .i. a·tá Día atach ṅdúnni aís de-threbo hónaib comfulidib echtrannaib .i. ar comfulidib ar chuit ceneuil .i. ais deich-thribo ro·echtrannaigtho [leg. roechtrannaigthea] huainn hua menmain naimtidiu.
      i.e. God is a refuge for us of the Two Tribes from alien kinsmen, i.e. our kinsmen by race, i.e. the Ten Tribes who were alienated from us by hostile mind.
  2. verbal noun of ad·teich: invocation, beseeching
    • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 5c17
      .i. nímchubandom attach trócaire frib; is tree rob·hícad.
      [illegible] to entreat mercy from you; it is through it that you pl have been saved.
    • c. 815-840, “The Monastery of Tallaght”, in Edward J. Gwynn, Walter J. Purton, transl., Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, volume 29, Royal Irish Academy, published 1911-1912, paragraph 7, pages 115-179:
      Tromde iarum, ro·búi frisim ind chaillech oc atach Dé co mór.
      Presently, the old woman wearied him with her loud praying to God.
    • c. 815-840, “The Monastery of Tallaght”, in Edward J. Gwynn, Walter J. Purton, transl., Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, volume 29, Royal Irish Academy, published 1911-1912, paragraph 58, pages 115-179:
      dígbail neich den praind ┐ attag nDé fris
      to take away part of the meal, and to invoke God in the matter

Inflection

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Neuter o-stem
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative attachN attachN attachL, attacha
Vocative attachN attachN attachL, attacha
Accusative attachN attachN attachL, attacha
Genitive attaigL attach attachN
Dative attuchL attachaib attachaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
  • H = triggers aspiration
  • L = triggers lenition
  • N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

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  • Middle Irish: attach

Mutation

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Mutation of attach
radical lenition nasalization
attach
(pronounced with /h/ in h-prothesis environments) 		unchanged n-attach

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

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