1650s, "to establish oneself in a place, settle," from L. locatus, pp. of locare "to place," from locus "a place" (see locus). Sense of "mark the limits of a place" (especially a land grant) is attested from 1739 in Amer.Eng.; this developed to "establish (something) in a
place" (1807) and "to find out the place of" (1882, Amer.Eng.).