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Origin and history of collation

collation(n.)

late 14c., "act of bringing together and comparing," from Old French collation (13c.) "collation, comparison, discussion" (also "a light supper"), from Latin collationem (nominative collatio) "a bringing together, collection, comparison," noun of action from collatus, irregular past participle of conferre "to bring together" (see collate).

The word has had many meanings over the centuries in theology and law. It was the title of a popular 5c. religious work by John Cassian (sometimes translated into Old English as Þurhtogenes), hence the word's general sense "a compilation of lives of the Church fathers." The "light supper" sense is from the meal taken by members of a monastery at the end of the day after hearing readings from the Collation.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to collation

collate(v.)

1610s, "to bring together and compare, examine critically as to agreement," from Latin collatus, irregular past participle of conferre "to bring together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see com-) + lātus "borne, carried" (see oblate (n.)), serving as past participle of ferre "to bear" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry"). Specifically, in bookbinding, "to verify the correct arrangement" (of the pages), 1770. Related: Collated; collating.

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    bite
    Old English bitan "to pierce or cut with the teeth" (class I strong verb; past tense bat, past participle biten), from Proto-Germanic *beitanan (source also of Old Saxon bitan, Old Norse and Old Frisian bita "cut, pierce, penetrate," Middle Dutch biten, Dutch bijten, German beiss
    snack
    c. 1300, snak, "to bite or snap" (of a dog), perhaps from a Northern variant of snatch (v.) influenced by Scandinavian words (such as Old Norse snakka); or perhaps also from or influenced by continental Germanic words such as Middle Dutch snakken, Flemish snacken "to snatch, snap
    aggregation
    early 15c., aggregacioun, originally in medicine (Chauliac), "formation of a pustule," from Medieval Latin aggregationem (nominative aggregatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin aggregare "collect, bring together," from ad "to" (see ad-) + gregare "to collect in
    comparison
    mid-14c., "equal, match, resemblance, similarity," from Old French comparaison "comparison" (12c.), from Latin comparationem (nominative comparatio), noun of action from past participle stem of comparare "make equal with, liken, bring together for a contest," from com "with, toge
    refreshment
    late 14c., "provision, provisioning; aid, encouragement; act or fact of refreshing; that which refreshes," originally mental and spiritual, from Old French refreschement (Modern French rafraîchissement), from refreschier "refresh, renew" (see refresh (v.)). Sense of "state of bei
    male
    late 14c., "male human being; male fish or land animal; one of the sex that begets young," from Old French masle (adj.) "masculine, male, adult," also used as a noun (12c., Modern French mâle), from Latin masculus "masculine, male, worthy of a man" (source also of Provençal mascl
    meal
    late 12c., mēl, "an occasion of taking food, a feast, a supply of food taken at one time for relief of hunger," also (c. 1200) "an appointed time for eating;" from Old English mæl, Anglian mēl, "fixed time, occasion; a meal," from Proto-Germanic *mela- (source also of Old Frisian
    collection
    late 14c., "action of collecting, practice of gathering together," from Old French collection (14c.), from Latin collectionem (nominative collectio) "a gathering together," noun of action from past-participle stem of colligere "gather together" (see collect). Especially of money
    repast
    late 14c., repaste, "a meal, a feast; food, nourishment, act of taking food," from Old French repast (Modern French repas) "a meal, food," from Late Latin repastus "meal" (also source of Spanish repasto), noun use of past participle of repascere "to feed again," from re- "repeate
    theater
    late 14c., "open air place in ancient times for viewing spectacles and plays," from Old French theatre (12c., Modern French théâtre, improperly accented) and directly from Latin theatrum "play-house, theater; stage; spectators in a theater" (source also of Spanish, Italian teatro

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