Etymology Map
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Catalogue

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a complete list of items

Where does the word "catalogue" come from? It comes from Greek katalogos, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
katalogos
Greek · ancient
"list"
Greek, 'kata', down, plus 'legein', to count
2
Stage 2 of 3
catalogue
Old French · medieval
"list"
came via Late Latin 'catalogus'
3
Stage 3 of 3
catalogue
English · 1400s
"list"
mail-order catalogues date from the 1800s
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Read the full story

Catalogue’s story begins in Greek: katalogos meant “list.” Greek, 'kata', down, plus 'legein', to count. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as catalogue. Came via Late Latin 'catalogus'. It reached English by 1400s as catalogue. Mail-order catalogues date from the 1800s. Today, catalogue means a complete list of items.