Quote Definition
Origin of Quote
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Recorded since 1387 “to mark (a book) with chapter numbers or marginal references", from Old French coter, from Medieval Latin quotare (“to distinguish by numbers, number chapters"), itself from Latin quotus (“which, what number (in sequence)"), from quot (“how many") and related to quis (“who"). The sense developed via “to give as a reference, to cite as an authority" to “to copy out exact words" (since 1680); the business sense “to state the price of a commodity" (1866) revives the etymological meaning. The noun, in the sense of “quotation," is attested from 1885; see also usage note, below.
From Wiktionary
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Middle English coten to mark a book with numbers or marginal references from Old French coter from Medieval Latin quotāre to number chapters from Latin quotus of what number from quot how many kwo- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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