Etymology

offertory

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Today it means: A prayer said or sung as an anthem while offerings of bread and wine are placed on the altar during the Roman Catholic Mass or the Anglican Communion service. Full definition →

First used 14th c.Late Latin offertorium
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The story

  1. Late Latin · derived fromoffertorium
  2. English todayoffertory

From Late Latin offertorium, from the participle stem of offere (“to offer”).

First known use, by meaning

  • from 14th c. A prayer said or sung as an anthem while offerings of bread and wine are placed on the altar during the Roman Catholic Mass or the Anglican Communion service.
  • from 15th c. The part of the Eucharist service when offerings of bread and wine are placed on the altar and when any collection is taken; also, the money or other things collected.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.