Citation

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Middle English (in citation (sense 2)): from Old French, from Latin citatio(n- ), from citare ‘cite’.

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From Middle English citacioun, from Old French citation, from Latin citātiō.

etymonline

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citation (n.)

c. 1300, "summons, written notice to appear," from Old French citation or directly from Latin citationem (nominative citatio) "a command," noun of action from past participle stem of citare "to summon, urge, call; put in sudden motion, call forward; rouse, excite" (see cite).

Meaning "passage cited, quotation" is from 1540s; meaning "act of citing or quoting a passage from a book, etc." is from 1650s; in law, especially "a reference to decided cases or statutes." From 1918 as "a mention in an official dispatch."