'concatenation' originates from Latin, specifically the noun 'concatenatio' and the verb 'concatenare', where the prefix 'com-' (often assimilated to 'con-') meant 'together' and 'catena' meant 'chain'.

'concatenation' changed from the Medieval/Latin word 'concatenatio' (from 'concatenare') and was borrowed into English with essentially the same form and meaning.

Initially, it meant 'the act of linking or chaining together' (literally forming a chain), but over time it broadened to mean any series or sequence of linked items and the specific operation of joining data (e.g., strings) in computing.