Confer
late Middle English (in the general sense ‘bring together’, also in confer (sense 2)): from Latin conferre, from con- ‘together’ + ferre ‘bring’.
wiktionary
From Early Modern English conferre, from Middle French conférer, from Old French conferer, from Latin cōnferō. Compare Dutch confereren(“to confer”), German konferieren(“to confer”), Danish konferere(“to confer”), Swedish konferera(“to confer”).
etymonline
confer (v.)
1530s, "examine by comparison;" 1540s (intransitive) "consult together on some special subject;" 1560s, "bestow as a gift or permanent possession," from Old French conférer (14c.) "to give; to converse; to compare," from Latin conferre "to bring together," figuratively "to compare; consult, deliberate, talk over," from assimilated form of com "together" (see con-) + ferre "to bear, carry," from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry," also "to bear children."
The sense of "taking counsel" led to conference. The oldest English meaning, that of "compare" (common 1530-c. 1650), is largely obsolete, but the abbreviation cf. still is used in this sense. Related: Conferred; conferring.
