collation
UK[kəˈleɪʃ(ə)n]US[kəˈleɪʃ(ə)n]
n
The act or process of collating, especially the careful comparison of texts or data to determine their correct order or to note differences.
n
A light meal, especially one provided in a religious context.
Morpheme Breakdown
col
lat
ion
col
together
lat
carried, brought
ion
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'collation' originates from the Latin verb 'conferre', meaning 'to bring together' or 'to compare'. Its past participle stem 'collatus' (from 'com-' + 'latus') gave rise to the Late Latin noun 'collatio', signifying a bringing together, a comparison, or a conference. In monastic Latin, this evolved to refer to a reading and discussion held at a gathering, which was often accompanied by a light meal, thus extending the meaning. The modern English term retains this dual sense, encompassing both the scholarly act of comparing texts and the provision of a light repast, both conceptually rooted in the idea of things being 'brought together'.
Analysis
Structure: col (together) + lat (carried, brought) + ion (noun suffix)
- col-: A form of the Latin prefix 'com-', meaning 'together' or 'with'. It assimilates before 'l'.
- lat: From the Latin root 'lat-', the past participle stem of the verb 'ferre', meaning 'to carry' or 'to bring'.
- ion: A suffix of Latin origin forming nouns denoting an action or process, or its result.
Examples
The final step in preparing the manuscript was the collation of all the different drafts.
After the evening service, the community shared a simple collation of bread and soup.
Database collation determines how text data is sorted and compared.