Definition of partake

The word "partake" originates from the Middle English verb "parten" which implies sharing or dividing something among persons. The word "parte" meaning "share" or "portion" existed in Old French and is the source of the verb's formation. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) provides an etymology for "partake" which shows it being formed from the Middle English root "par-" and the Old Norse word "toka" meaning "derived." The OED explains that "par-" signified sharing or dividing, and this Middle English prefix joined the Old Norse base word mentioned above to form the verb "partoke," which was spelled "parteke" in the 13th century. The verb "partook" is formed by adding the past tense inflection "-ed" to "partake." The noun "partaking" is formed by adding "-ing" to the verb's base form. Both "partook" and "partaking" developed in Middle English through the use of inflectional endings. In Old English, the word "para" meaning "one's own" evolved into Middle English's "par," meaning "share," which was also spelled as "per" in the latter part of the Middle English era. The separation of word-initial "e" became less frequent in Middle English, particularly before "a" and "o". During this time, verbs like "parteen" developed with an unstressed "e" in the first syllable and this weak vowel disappeared over time by a process called "apocope." The Latin phrase "parte participatedis" or "participating in part," is sometimes used interchangeably with "partaking" in the modern English language to indicate sharing, participation, or contribution. As a whole, "partake" has evolved over time from its root meaning of sharing or dividing something among persons, and it continues to be used in modern English to convey the notion of sharing, consuming, enjoying, or contributing.