Etymologically
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colloco

Etymology and origin of the Latin word colloco

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (locus)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkɔl.lɔ.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkɔl.lo.ko][1]

Forms

collocō (present infinitive collocāre, perfect active collocāvī, supine collocātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from con- “together” and locō “to place”, from locus “place”.[2][1][3][4] Manuscripts write both ⟨conlocō⟩ and ⟨collocō⟩.[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of placing persons and things.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to put or set in a place, as in Plautus and Caesar's timber set facing the enemy, to set up in a proper position, arrange, and in Cicero to locate, establish.[2][6] In Cicero it meant to post troops, set an ambush, settle colonists, billet, and in Terence to lay down on a couch.[2] From Plautus it meant to put into a condition, to base on something, and to invest money.[2] In Cicero it meant to give a daughter in marriage, to bestow a favour, and to devote time or resources.[2] In Gaius it meant to transfer property and to deposit money.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to place, set, put up, station, arrange, employ.[7] It survives in Romanian culca, Italian coricare and French coucher, and Old French couchier gave English couch about 1300; its participle gave English collocate in the 1510s.[1][4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of placing.[2][5]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of laying on a couch.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of giving in marriage.[2][5]
  • c. 1300 – English couch is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To place, set; to locate.[2]
  2. To set up; to arrange; to establish.[2]
  3. To station (troops); to set an ambush.[2]
  4. To settle; to billet.[2]
  5. To lay down (on a couch).[2]
  6. To put into a condition; to base on.[2]
  7. To give in marriage; to transfer (property).[2]
  8. To invest; to deposit.[2]
  9. To bestow; to devote.[2]

Word family

  • collocātiō
  • recollocō

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 m n o p q r s t Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Colloco.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/colloco. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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