Etymologically
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collectio

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kɔlˈleːk.ti.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kolˈlɛk.t͡si.o][1]

Forms

collēctiō f (genitive collēctiōnis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from colligō “to gather together”, through its participle ⟨collēctus⟩, with the suffix -tiō, and is also spelled ⟨conlēctiō⟩.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Cicero, of gathering, as his conlēctiō membrōrum of the scattered limbs of Absyrtus.[2][4] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant a bringing together, collecting, accumulation, as Cicero's gathering of Absyrtus' limbs and Petronius' collēctiō spīritūs “drawing of breath”.[2][3] In Seneca's medicine it meant a gathering, an abscess.[2] In rhetoric it meant a recapitulation, as in the Rhetorica ad Herennium, and in Seneca an inference, syllogism.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant collection, summary.[6] Medieval Latin used it of a meeting, a congregation, and the collect, the first prayer of the Mass.[7] English collection came in the late 14th century through Old French.[8] Old French cueillaison “gathering” is an inherited descendant.[1]

Timeline

  • 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it of recapitulation.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of gathering.[2][4][5]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of an abscess and of inference.[2][5]
  • late 14th century – English collection is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A gathering, collection; accumulation.[2]
  2. (medicine) An abscess.[2]
  3. (rhetoric) Recapitulation.[2]
  4. An inference, syllogism.[2]
  5. (Medieval Latin) A congregation; the collect of the Mass.[7]
  • collēcta
  • collēctāculum
  • collēctāneus
  • collēctārius
  • collēctē
  • collēcticius
  • collēctim
  • collēctīvus
  • collēctor
  • collēctus
  • colligō
  • English collection
  • English collect

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com