Arranges pages or documents in the correct order, or compares them carefully to check for differences.
From Latin 'collatus', past participle of 'conferre' (to bring together), combined with the prefix 'col-' meaning 'together.' The word evolved in medieval manuscript preparation when monks needed to verify that all pages were present and in proper sequence.
Before printing presses, monks literally had to collate hand-copied manuscripts by comparing them side-by-side—one small mistake and readers would get a different version of a text. This is why collation became essential in preserving accurate copies of important works.
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