folio

English

WOTD – 8 September 2016

A copy of the 《禮記》 (Lǐjì; Book of Rites), a collection of Confucian texts describing the social forms, administration, and ceremonial rites of the Zhou dynasty as they were understood in the Warring States and the early Han periods. The term folio can refer to each leaf of the book (sense 1), or each page (sense 2); in the latter sense, two folios of the open book can be seen in the photograph.

Etymology

From Middle English folio (“leaf of a book”), borrowed from Medieval Latin foliō, Late Latin foliō, Latin foliō, the ablative singular form of Late Latin folium (“leaf or sheet of paper”), Latin folium (“leaf of a plant”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- (“bloom, flower”). Doublet of foil and folium, and distantly related to phyllo and phyllon.

Senses 1, 2, 3.1, 5, and 6 relating to a leaf or page are derived from Medieval Latin foliō in references; sense 5 (“page in an account book”) may be derived from Italian foglio (“rectangular sheet of paper”), from Latin folium. Senses 3.2 and 3.3 relating to a paper size are from Italian in foglio or its etymon Latin in foliō.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfəʊlɪəʊ/, /ˈfəʊljəʊ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfoʊliˌoʊ/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊljəʊ
• Hyphenation: fo‧lio

Noun

folio (plural folios)

1. A leaf of a book or manuscript.
   • 2004, Eric H. Ash, “Secants, Sailors, and Elizabethan Manuals of Navigation”, in Power, Knowledge, and Expertise in Elizabethan England, Baltimore, Md., London: Johns Hopkins University Press, →ISBN, page 162:

     [Thomas] Hood also presented his treatises in such a way that conveniently accessing specific lessons was difficult, if not impossible, for the reader-practitioner. For example, his book entitled The Vse of Both the Globes, Celestiall and Terrestriall... (1592) was roughly two hundred pages long but did not include such helpful tools as an index, a table of contents, or even folio numbers. In order to refer to some lesson that he might need, the reader would have to leaf through the text until the passage in question was found, or else rely upon his own marginal notes.

   • 2004, Jason Glenn, Politics and History in the Tenth Century: The Work and World of Richer of Reims, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 140:

     We saw above that the fourth quire consists of ten folios, two of which (folios 29 and 31) Richer added to a quaternion (folios 23 to 28, 30, 32). Most of the folios Richer added to his manuscript supplement, elaborate, or amend text that he had already composed in the codex. In this quire, however, Richer wrote around the added folios as if it was the quire he added to them, not the converse. Indeed, if we were to remove folios 29 and 31, there would be neither grammatical nor narrative continuity between the original folios of the quire which would face each other, that is, between folios 28^v[erso] and 30^r[ecto] on the one hand, or folios 30^v and 32^r on the other.

2. A page of a book, that is, one side of a leaf of a book.
   • [1871, “Folio Page”, in J[ohn] Luther Ringwalt, editor, American Encyclopædia of Printing, Philadelphia, Pa.: Menamin & Ringwalt, 517 Minor Street; J. B. Lippincott & Co., 715 Market Street, →OCLC, page 172:

     Folio Page.—A page which occupies the half of a full sheet of paper, as Post-folio, Demy-folio, etc. Two pages of folio are imposed together as one form, four pages being a perfect sheet. Post-folio and Foolscap-folio, however, are more frequently imposed as four-page forms, and printed on Double-post and Double-foolscap paper.]

3. (by extension, printing)
   1. A page number. The even folios are on the left-hand pages and the odd folios on the right-hand pages.
      • [1871, “Folio”, in J[ohn] Luther Ringwalt, editor, American Encyclopædia of Printing, Philadelphia, Pa.: Menamin & Ringwalt, 517 Minor Street; J. B. Lippincott & Co., 715 Market Street, →OCLC, page 172:

        Folio.—The running number of the pages of a work. When there is no running title, the folio is placed in the centre of the head-line; when there is a running title, at the outside corner—the even folio on the left, the odd on the right. The preface, contents, index, and all introductory matter, usually have separate folios inserted in Roman lower-case numerals.]

      • 2006, Andrew Haslam, “Creating a Book”, in Book Design (Portfolio), London: Laurence King Publishing, →ISBN, page 21:

        verso left-hand page of a book usually identified with even folio numbers. […] recto right-hand page of a book usually identified with odd folio numbers.

   2. A sheet of paper folded in half.
      • 1821 April 1, “Useful Arts”, in The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal, volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Co. Conduit-Street, Hanover-Square, →OCLC, page 180:

        This pocket copying-machine, by which letters and writings of all sizes, even folio, may be very quickly copied, consists of a press four inches long, with a small cylinder, which contains pens and ink: the whole apparatus may be conveniently carried in the pocket, and the price is very moderate.

   3. A book made of sheets of paper each folded in half (two leaves or four pages to the sheet); hence, a book of the largest kind, exceeding 30 centimetres in height.

      Synonyms: (all abbreviations) F, f, fo, 2º

      A rare copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio.

      • 1759, Humfrey Wanley, David Casley, William Hocker, Charles Morton, compilers, A Catalogue of the Harleian Collection of Manuscripts, Purchased by Authority of Parliament, for the Use of the Publick; and Preserved in the British Museum. Published by Order of the Trustees, volume II, London: Printed by Dryden Leach, and sold by L. Davis and C. Reymers, opposite Grays-Inn, Holborn, →OCLC, serial number 5876:

        A treatiſe in Folio, intitled, The Magazen of Honour, or a Treatiſe concerninge the Nobillitie of England accordinge to the Lawes of England, with their Priviledges in Parliament, & in what caſes noe priviledge, together with the Etymologie, definition & antiquitie of 3 ſortes of Barons.

      • 1902, William Blades, The Enemies of Books, 2nd edition, page 102:

        Another, with the bump of order unnaturally developed, had his folios and quartos all reduced, in binding, to one size, so that they might look even on his bookshelves.

      • 2003, Anthony James West, The Shakespeare First Folio: The History of the Book. Volume II: A New Worldwide Census of First Folios, volume II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 87:

        He [collector Anthony Morris Storer] bequeathed part of his collection to […] Eton College, including the First Folio [of William Shakespeare], a fine copy of the Second Folio, a poor copy of the Third Folio, and the collection of Quartos.

4. A wrapper for loose papers.
5. (accounting) A page in an account book; sometimes, two opposite pages bearing the same serial number.
   • 1806, “Book-keeping”, in The New and Complete American Encyclopædia: or, Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences; [...] In Seven Volumes, volume II, New York, N.Y.: Printed and published by John Low, No. 33, Chatham-Street, →OCLC, page 152:

     In the leger,^[sic] articles of the ſame kind are collected together; and, for that purpoſe, it is divided into many accounts, under which the different branches of buſineſs are arranged. Each account is introduced by a proper title, to explain the nature of the articles it contains; and articles of oppoſite kinds, which belong to the ſame account, are placed on the oppoſite pages of the ſame folio: for inſtance, money received on the one ſide, and money paid on the other; or goods bought on the one ſide, and goods ſold on the other.

6. (law, dated) A leaf containing a certain number of words; hence, a certain number of words in a piece of writing, as in England, in law proceedings 72, and in chancery, 90; in New York, 100 words. [19th – early 20th c.]
   • 1817 December 20, House of Commons of the United Kingdom, “Second Report of the Commissioners for Examining into the Duties, Salaries and Emoluments, of the Officers, Clerks and Ministers, of the Several Courts of Justice, in England, Wales, and Berwick-upon-Tweed;—as to the Court of Chancery”, in Reports from Committees: Fever; Ireland; Courts of Justice: Session 27 January – 10 June, 1818, volume VII, [London]: [s.n.], published 6 April 1818, →OCLC, pages 172 and 176:

     [page 172] When actions are brought in the Courts of King's Bench or Common Pleas, founded upon original writs issuing out of the Courts of Chancery (which writs, as stated in the Report of the 9th of April 1816, it is the duty of the Cursitors to make out) it has been the practice in certain cases for the Filacers of the Courts of King's Bench and Common Pleas respectively, to receive from the Suitors the King's fines (if any) and also the fees payable to the Cursitors in respect of such original writs, and afterwards to account to the Cursitors for the fines and fees so received. […] [page 176] The Cursitors have claimed before us a right to compute the skin in all cases, at twenty folios, each folio containing seventy-two words; and to charge 1 s. 4 d. for every folio, instead of the fees now taken per folio or per skin, where the writ in charged in that manner. In support of this claim they have contended, that twenty folios of seventy-two words each, were established by the Order of 1743, as the length of a skin; […] The writ [of Transgress' super Casum], exclusive of the part containing the matter of the declaration, contains less than two folios of seventy-two words each; common counts are stated to contain usually, from two to three folios; special counts are usually longer, and sometimes of a much greater length.

   • 1862, George Henry Cooper (reporter), Alexander Staveley Hill (reporter), “Fees to be Taken in the Principal Registry of the Court of Probate in Non-contentious Business”, in The Law Journal Reports for the Year 1862: Cases in the Court of Probate, in the Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, and in the High Court of Admiralty (New Series; XXXI), volume XL, part IV, London: Printed by James Holmes, 4, Took's Court, Chancery Lane; published by Edward Bret Ince, 5, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, →OCLC, page 64:

     If the office copy of a Will or any part of a Will or other document is required to be made fac-simile, and such Will or part of a Will or other document is two folios of ninety words in length or under, in addition to the fee for the copy … … … … [£]0 1[s.] 0[d.] / If exceeding two folios of ninety words, for every additional folio or part of a folio … … [£]0 0[s.] 6[d.]

Hyponyms

• atlas folio
• bifolio
• blind folio
• double elephant folio
• elephant folio
• first folio

 

Derived terms

• folio post

Translations

leaf of a book or manuscript — see leaf

page of a book, that is, one side of a leaf of a book — see page

page number

• Finnish: sivunumero (fi)
• Macedonian: please add this translation if you can

sheet of paper folded in half

• Finnish: puoliksi taitettu paperiarkki, kaksitaite
• Macedonian: please add this translation if you can

book made of sheets of paper each folded in half

• Finnish: folio (fi), kaksitaite
• Macedonian: please add this translation if you can

wrapper for loose papers

• Finnish: asiakirjakansi
• Maori: kōpaki

page in an account book

• Finnish: tilikirjan sivu
• Macedonian: please add this translation if you can

leaf containing a certain number of words; certain number of words in a piece of writing

• Finnish: arkki (fi)
• Macedonian: please add this translation if you can

See also

English paper and book sizes

Latin	folio	quarto	sexto	octavo	duodecimo	sextodecimo	octodecimo	vicesimo-quarto	trigesimo-secundo	quadragesimo-octavo	sexagesimo-quarto
ALA	F	Q		O	D	S	T		Tt	Fe	Sf
height (cm)	> 30	25-30	25-30	20-25	17.5-20	15-17.5	12.5-15	12.5-15	10-12.5	7.5-10	< 7.5
printers'	folio	quarto	sixmo	octavo	twelvemo	sixteenmo	eighteenmo	twenty-fourmo	thirty-twomo	forty-eightmo	sixty-fourmo
abbrev.	fo or f	4to	6to or 6mo	8vo	12mo	16mo	18mo	24mo	32mo	48mo	64mo
abbrev.	2º	4º	6º	8º	12º	16º	18º	24º	32º	48º	64º
	<<   bigger       smaller   >>

Verb

folio (third-person singular simple present folios, present participle folioing, simple past and past participle folioed)

1. (transitive) To put a serial number on (a folio or page, or on all the folios or pages of a book); to foliate, to page.
   • 1860, Nathan Howard, Jr., “Rules of the Supreme Court”, in The Code of Procedure of Pleadings and Practice of the State of New-York, 1860, 2nd enl. and improved edition, New York, N.Y.: Banks & Brothers, law publishers, 144 Nassau Street; and 475 Broadway, Albany, →OCLC, rule XX, page 735:

     And all the pleadings and other proceedings and copies thereof shall be fairly and legibly written; and if not so written, and folioed, and indorsed as aforesaid, the clerks shall not file such as may be offered to them for that purpose, nor will the court hear any motion or application founded thereon.

   • 1874, William Wait, “Part XIII. Motions, Orders and Papers. Chapter II. Affidavits and Petitions. Article II. Petitions. Section 3. Form and Contents of Petitions.”, in The Practice at Law, in Equity, and in Special Proceedings, in All the Courts of Record in the State of New York; with Appropriate Forms, volume IV, Albany, N.Y.: William Gould & Son, law booksellers and publishers, →OCLC, page 585:

     Folioing. The rule previously stated as to affidavits and other papers in respect to folioing applies also to petitions. They must be fairly and legibly written and indorsed, and where they are of more than two folios in length must be folioed.

   • 1907, J[ohn] Thornton, “Lesson VII.—The Principle of the Transfer from Preparatory to Final Record”, in A Manual of Bookkeeping for the Use of Students (Elementary Commercial Class-books), new and rev. edition, London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, St Martin's Street, London, →OCLC, page 105:

     Folioing is necessary as an indication how far in his work the poster has proceeded, and must be done in both books immediately after each entry.

Translations

to put a serial number on (a folio or page, or on all the folios or pages of a book) — see foliate,‎ page

References

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for “folio”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.)

Esperanto

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin folium (“leaf, sheet”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [foˈlio]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -io
• Hyphenation: fo‧li‧o

Noun

folio (accusative singular folion, plural folioj, accusative plural foliojn)

1. (botany) leaf
2. sheet

Derived terms

• foliaro (“foliage”)
• folioŝtormo (“leafstorm”)
• paperfolio

 

Finnish

Etymology

From German Folie, from Latin folium.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfolio/, [ˈfo̞lio̞]
• Rhymes: -olio
• Hyphenation^(key): fo‧lio

Noun

folio

1. foil (very thin sheet of metal)

Declension

Inflection of folio (Kotus type 3/valtio, no gradation)
nominative		folio	foliot
genitive		folion	folioiden folioitten
partitive		foliota	folioita
illative		folioon	folioihin
		singular	plural
nominative		folio	foliot
accusative	nom.	folio	foliot
	gen.	folion
genitive		folion	folioiden folioitten
partitive		foliota	folioita
inessive		foliossa	folioissa
elative		foliosta	folioista
illative		folioon	folioihin
adessive		foliolla	folioilla
ablative		foliolta	folioilta
allative		foliolle	folioille
essive		foliona	folioina
translative		folioksi	folioiksi
abessive		foliotta	folioitta
instructive		—	folioin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of folio (Kotus type 3/valtio, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative folioni folioni accusative nom. folioni folioni gen. folioni genitive folioni folioideni folioitteni partitive foliotani folioitani inessive foliossani folioissani elative foliostani folioistani illative foliooni folioihini adessive foliollani folioillani ablative folioltani folioiltani allative foliolleni folioilleni essive folionani folioinani translative foliokseni folioikseni abessive foliottani folioittani instructive — — comitative — folioineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative foliosi foliosi accusative nom. foliosi foliosi gen. foliosi genitive foliosi folioidesi folioittesi partitive foliotasi folioitasi inessive foliossasi folioissasi elative foliostasi folioistasi illative folioosi folioihisi adessive foliollasi folioillasi ablative folioltasi folioiltasi allative foliollesi folioillesi essive folionasi folioinasi translative folioksesi folioiksesi abessive foliottasi folioittasi instructive — — comitative — folioinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative foliomme foliomme accusative nom. foliomme foliomme gen. foliomme genitive foliomme folioidemme folioittemme partitive foliotamme folioitamme inessive foliossamme folioissamme elative foliostamme folioistamme illative folioomme folioihimme adessive foliollamme folioillamme ablative folioltamme folioiltamme allative foliollemme folioillemme essive folionamme folioinamme translative folioksemme folioiksemme abessive foliottamme folioittamme instructive — — comitative — folioinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative folionne folionne accusative nom. folionne folionne gen. folionne genitive folionne folioidenne folioittenne partitive foliotanne folioitanne inessive foliossanne folioissanne elative foliostanne folioistanne illative folioonne folioihinne adessive foliollanne folioillanne ablative folioltanne folioiltanne allative foliollenne folioillenne essive folionanne folioinanne translative folioksenne folioiksenne abessive foliottanne folioittanne instructive — — comitative — folioinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative folionsa folionsa accusative nom. folionsa folionsa gen. folionsa genitive folionsa folioidensa folioittensa partitive foliotaan foliotansa folioitaan folioitansa inessive foliossaan foliossansa folioissaan folioissansa elative foliostaan foliostansa folioistaan folioistansa illative folioonsa folioihinsa adessive foliollaan foliollansa folioillaan folioillansa ablative folioltaan folioltansa folioiltaan folioiltansa allative foliolleen foliollensa folioilleen folioillensa essive folionaan folionansa folioinaan folioinansa translative foliokseen folioksensa folioikseen folioiksensa abessive foliottaan foliottansa folioittaan folioittansa instructive — — comitative — folioineen folioinensa

Derived terms

• folioida

 

compounds

• alumiinifolio
• foliohattu
• foliokoko
• foliopaperi
• metallifolio
• talousfolio

 

Further reading

• “folio”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Ido

Etymology

Borrowed from Esperanto folio., from Latin folium

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfoli̯o/

Noun

folio (plural folii)

1. (botany) leaf
2. (thin) sheet
3. folio (leaf/sheet of paper)

Indonesian

Noun

folio

1. folio

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈfo.li.oː/, [ˈfɔlʲioː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈfo.li.o/, [ˈfɔːlio]

Etymology 1

From folium (“leaf”) +‎ -ō (suffix forming verbs from nouns or adjectives).

Verb

foliō (present infinitive foliāre, perfect active foliāvī, supine foliātum); first conjugation

1. (Medieval Latin, New Latin) (of a metal, such as gold) to make into leaf/foil

Conjugation

   Conjugation of foliō (first conjugation)

indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	foliō	foliās	foliat	foliāmus	foliātis	foliant
	imperfect	foliābam	foliābās	foliābat	foliābāmus	foliābātis	foliābant
	future	foliābō	foliābis	foliābit	foliābimus	foliābitis	foliābunt
	perfect	foliāvī	foliāvistī	foliāvit	foliāvimus	foliāvistis	foliāvērunt, foliāvēre
	pluperfect	foliāveram	foliāverās	foliāverat	foliāverāmus	foliāverātis	foliāverant
	future perfect	foliāverō	foliāveris	foliāverit	foliāverimus	foliāveritis	foliāverint
passive	present	folior	foliāris, foliāre	foliātur	foliāmur	foliāminī	foliantur
	imperfect	foliābar	foliābāris, foliābāre	foliābātur	foliābāmur	foliābāminī	foliābantur
	future	foliābor	foliāberis, foliābere	foliābitur	foliābimur	foliābiminī	foliābuntur
	perfect	foliātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	foliātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	foliātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	foliem	foliēs	foliet	foliēmus	foliētis	folient
imperfect	foliārem	foliārēs	foliāret	foliārēmus	foliārētis	foliārent
perfect	foliāverim	foliāverīs	foliāverit	foliāverīmus	foliāverītis	foliāverint
pluperfect	foliāvissem	foliāvissēs	foliāvisset	foliāvissēmus	foliāvissētis	foliāvissent
passive	present	folier	foliēris, foliēre	foliētur	foliēmur	foliēminī	folientur
imperfect	foliārer	foliārēris, foliārēre	foliārētur	foliārēmur	foliārēminī	foliārentur
perfect	foliātus + present active subjunctive of sum
pluperfect	foliātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	foliā	—	—	foliāte	—
	future	—	foliātō	foliātō	—	foliātōte	foliantō
passive	present	—	foliāre	—	—	foliāminī	—
	future	—	foliātor	foliātor	—	—	foliantor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		foliāre	foliāvisse	foliātūrum esse	foliārī	foliātum esse	foliātum īrī
participles		foliāns	—	foliātūrus	—	foliātus	foliandus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		foliandī	foliandō	foliandum	foliandō	foliātum	foliātū

Derived terms

• foliātus
• foliāticus

Etymology 2

Noun

foliō n

1. dative/ablative singular of folium

References

• R. E. Latham, D. R. Howlett, & R. K. Ashdowne, editors (1975–2013), “foliare”, in Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources‎^[2], London: Oxford University Press for the British Academy, →ISBN, →OCLC

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin folio.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfo.ljo/

Noun

folio n (uncountable)

1. folio

Declension

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	folio	folioul
genitive-dative	folio	folioului
vocative	folioule

Further reading

• folio in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

Serbo-Croatian

Noun

folio m (Cyrillic spelling фолио)

1. folio

Declension

Declension of folio

	singular	plural
nominative	folio	foliji
genitive	folija	folija
dative	foliju	folijima
accusative	folio	folije
vocative	folio	foliji
locative	foliju	folijima
instrumental	folijem	folijima

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfoljo/ [ˈfo.ljo]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -oljo
• Syllabification: fo‧lio

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin folium. Cf. also hoja.

Noun

folio m (plural folios)

1. folio (leaf/sheet of paper)

   Synonyms: hoja, pliego

Etymology 2

Verb

folio

1. first-person singular present indicative of foliar

Further reading

• “folio”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10