Repertoires

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collection of skills, techniques, or artistic works available for use in performance or communication
2. A diverse range of abilities or pieces that a person or group can employ in various situations
3. A set of works or methods that an individual or organization has mastered and can readily perform or utilize

Etymology: "Repertoires" is the plural of "repertoire", which English borrowed from French in the sense of a stock of pieces a performer or company is ready to play. The French word goes back through Middle French to Late Latin "repertorium", meaning an inventory or list, and that Latin word comes from "reperire", to find or discover. So the core idea is of something found again and set out in order, like a catalogue. The English word and its close relative "repertory" are doublets: two forms of the same Latin root that entered the language by different routes. "Repertory" came in more directly as a term for a store or list of things, while "repertoire" kept the French spelling and the idea of a ready-made collection of works that a theatre, orchestra or dancer can call upon.

Synonyms: collections, libraries, lists, catalogs, archives