The act of endowing with a dowry; the dowry or endowment itself; a permanent source of income granted to an institution.
From Medieval Latin 'dotatio', derived from 'dotare' (to endow). The suffix '-tion' creates an abstract noun. This term evolved to also mean institutional endowments.
This word shows how marriage-related vocabulary transformed into broader meaning—'dotation' started meaning dowry but expanded to describe any institutional funding, showing how language adapts old words for new contexts.
From Latin 'dotatio' (dowry gift). Used historically for endowing convents and charitable institutions but rooted in dowry systems that commodified women as economic units in marriage.
When discussing historical ecclesiastical endowments, use 'dotation' with clear context. For modern grants/endowments, prefer 'endowment', 'bequest', or 'grant'.
["endowment","bequest","grant","donation"]
Women religious founders like Hilda of Whitby and Brigid of Kildare accumulated and controlled substantial dotations, giving them economic power absent in secular society.
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