Other forms: acquainted, acquainting, acquaints
To acquaint is to make somebody familiar with something. Acquaint yourself with the rules, acquaint him with the facts, get acquainted.
It is formal and reflexive as often as not — acquaint yourself with is a standard instruction in official writing. Being acquainted with somebody is knowing them slightly, which is a real and useful gradation between stranger and friend. Note acquaintance; and that quaint is the same word, oddly, once meaning skilful.
1verbacquaintTo make somebody familiar with something.
“Please take time to acquaint yourself with the safety rules before you start work.”
acquaint is a making familiar.
Old French acointier comes from Latin accognoscere, to know well, from cognoscere. Know, cognition and quaint come from the same knowing.
Latin
accognitus
la-eme
accognitō
Old French
acointier
Middle English
aqueynten
English, today
acquaint
From Middle English aqueynten, from Old French acointier, from la-eme accognitō, from Latin accognitus, past participle of accognoscō, from Latin cognoscō, from nōscō. See also quaint, know.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA