Catalogues

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A systematic list of items or information arranged in a particular order
2. A collection of written or printed items that provide descriptions and details about various subjects
3. An inventory or index showcasing a selection of products, works, or resources for reference or sale

Etymology: The Greek "katalogos" meant "enrollment" or "register," the act of listing people or things in an official record. It came from "katalegein," "to recount, make a list," built from "kata," meaning "downwards" or "towards," and "legein," "to say, to speak, to tell." So the core idea is speaking items out one by one, in order, until the list is complete. The word passed into Latin as "catalogus" and then through Old French "catalogue" into Middle English as "cathaloge," where it kept its meaning of a formal list, such as a register of names or goods. The modern English spelling settled later, and the old Middle English form shows how far it had traveled from its Greek roots. "Catalogues" is the plural of "catalogue," the form used when referring to several such lists, whether printed booklets of products or inventories of library holdings.

Synonyms: directories, lists, registers, databases, inventories