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Origin and history of collateral

collateral(adj.)

late 14c., "accompanying, attendant" (especially as an auxiliary), also "descended from the same stock but in a different line" (distinguished from lineal), from Old French collateral (13c.), from Medieval Latin collateralis "accompanying," literally "side by side," from assimilated form of Latin com "with, together" (see com-) + lateralis "of the side," from latus "the side, flank of humans or animals, lateral surface," a word of uncertain origin.

Literal sense of "parallel, along the side of" attested in English from mid-15c. Related: Collaterally. Collateral damage is by 1873 in legal cases; in modern use, a euphemism for "the coincidental killing of civilians," an extended sense from c. 1968, American English, at first generally with reference to nuclear weapons. 

collateral(n.)

"colleague, associate," 1510s, from collateral (adj.). Meaning "something of value given as security" is from 1832, American English, from phrase collateral security "property, etc., given to secure the performance of a contract" (1720), in which collateral (adj.) has the sense of "aiding or confirming in a secondary way."

also from 1510s

Entries linking to collateral

com-

word-forming element usually meaning "with, together," from Latin com, archaic form of classical Latin cum "together, together with, in combination," from PIE *kom- "beside, near, by, with" (compare Old English ge-, German ge-). The prefix in Latin sometimes was used as an intensive.

Before vowels and aspirates, it is reduced to co-; before -g-, it is assimilated to cog- or con-; before -l-, assimilated to col-; before -r-, assimilated to cor-; before -c-, -d-, -j-, -n-, -q-, -s-, -t-, and -v-, it is assimilated to con-, which was so frequent that it often was used as the normal form.

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    consequent
    early 15c., "conclusive, logical," also "following as an effect or result," from Old French consequent "following, resulting" and directly from Latin consequentem (nominative consequens) "following, consequent," present participle of consequi "to follow after," from assimilated f
    concomitant
    "accompanying, conjoined with, concurrent, going together," c. 1600, from French concomitant, from Late Latin concomitantem (nominative concomitans), present participle of concomitari "accompany, attend," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + comitari "join a
    incidental
    "casual, occurring casually in connection with something else; of minor importance," 1640s, from Medieval Latin incidentalis, from incidens (see incident (n.)). The earlier adjective in this sense was incident (1520s). Incidentals (n.) "'occasional' expenses, etc.," is attested b
    interpellation
    action from past participle stem of interpellare "to interrupt by speaking," from inter "between" (see inter-) + pellare, collateral...
    persiflage
    from Latin per "through" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "through") + French siffler "to whistle, hiss," from collateral...
    mange
    French manjue, mangeue "the itch," also "hunger, appetite; itching, longing," literally "the eating," verbal noun from a collateral...
    adage
    "brief, familiar proverb," 1540s, French adage (16c.), from Latin adagium "adage, proverb," apparently a collateral form...
    guaranty
    "act or fact of guaranteeing, a being answerable for the obligations of another," 1590s, garrantye, from earlier garant "warrant that the title to a property is true" (see guarantee (n.)), with influence from Old French garantie "protection, defense; safeguard, warranty," origina
    guarantee
    1670s, "person that gives security," altered (perhaps via Spanish garante or confusion with legalese ending -ee), from earlier garrant "warrant that the title to a property is true" (early 15c.), from Old French garant "defender, protector; warranty; pledge; justifying evidence,"
    corroborate
    1520s, "to give (legal) confirmation to," from Latin corroboratus, past participle of corroborare "to strengthen, invigorate," from assimilated form of com "with, together," here perhaps "thoroughly" (see com-) + roborare "to make strong," from robur, robus "strength," (see robus

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