'accoy' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'acoyen,' where 'a-' meant 'to' and 'coy' meant 'quiet or calm.'

'acoyen' transformed into the modern English word 'accoy' and eventually became 'accoying' as its present participle form.

Initially, it meant 'to quiet or calm,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.