Undertake
/ˌʌndərˈteɪk/noun
To begin or commit oneself to doing something; to agree to perform or assume responsibility for it.
Did you know?In Old English, the verb could mean not just “attempt” but also “to take in hand, seize, or attack,” showing how responsibility and force once lived in the same word.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
undertec(e)an
“to take upon oneself; to undertake, assume, or engage in”
Old English
OE
under- + tacan
“literally “under-take,” originally the sense of taking up or on oneself”
Middle English
ME
undertaken
“to attempt, promise, or engage to do something”
15th Century
English
undertake
“to commit oneself to an action; also to take in hand or attack”
Modern English
English
undertake
“to take on a task, responsibility, or project”