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Origin and history of affiliation

affiliation(n.)

1751, "adoption," from French affiliation, from Medieval Latin affiliationem (nominative affiliatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin affiliare "to adopt as a son," from ad "to" (see ad-) + filius "son" (see filial).

The figurative sense of "adoption by a society," in reference to a local chapter or branch, is recorded by 1799 (the verb affiliate in a related sense is from 1761). The meaning "friendship, relationship, association" is by 1852.

Entries linking to affiliation

1761, "bring into close association," from Latin affiliatus, past participle of affiliare "to adopt a son," from ad "to" (see ad-) + filius "son" (see filial). Outside legal use, always figurative. Related: Affiliated; affiliating.

late 14c., from Late Latin filialis "of a son or daughter," from Latin filius "son," filia "daughter," possibly from a suffixed form of PIE root *bheue- "to be, exist, grow" (see be), but Watkins finds it "more likely" assimilated from *felios, originally "a suckling," a suffixed form of PIE root *dhe(i)- "to suck, suckle."

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