Emily Dickinson Lexicon

AT-TAIN, v.i. [Fr. and Norm. atteindre; L. attingo, to reach, come to or overtake; ad and tango; to touch, reach or strike; that is, to thrust, urge or push to. It has no connection with L. attineo. See Class Dg.]

1. To reach; to come to or arrive at, by motion, bodily exertion, or efforts toward a place or object. If by any means they might attain to Phenice. – Acts xxvii.
2. To reach; to come to or arrive at, by an effort of mind. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I can not attain to it. Ps. cxxxix. Regularly this verb should be always followed by to; the omission of to, and the use of the verb, in a transitive sense, may have originated in mistake, from the opinion that the verb is from the L. attineo, and equivalent to obtain.