'accumulate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'accumulare,' where 'ad-' meant 'to' and 'cumulus' meant 'heap or pile.'

'accumulare' transformed into the Old French word 'accumuler,' and eventually became the modern English word 'accumulate' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to heap up or pile,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.