1620s, from French accolade "an embrace, a kiss" (16c.), from Provençal acolada or Italian accollata, ultimately from noun use of a fem. past participle of Vulgar Latin accollare "to embrace around the neck," from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + collum "neck" (see collar (n.)), from PIE root kwel- (1) "revolve, move round."
The original sense is of an embrace about the neck then the tapping of a sword on the shoulders to confer knighthood. Extended meaning "praise, award" is from 1852. Also see -ade. The earlier form of the word in English was accoll(mid-14c.), from Old French acolee "an embrace, kiss, especially that given to a new-made knight," a noun use of the past participle of the verb acoler. The French noun in the 16c. was altered to accolade, with the foreign suffix, and English followed suit.
在中世纪，"accolade" 是指封爵仪式中的一部分，新骑士会受到现有骑士的轻拍（通常是用剑的平面部分拍击受封骑士的肩膀）。这个轻拍的动作，和原始的“拥抱”的意思，共同塑造了现在 "accolade" 的含义，表示一个特别的荣誉或赞扬。
历史学家写道早期法国国王在册封骑士时，会亲吻骑士的左面颊。据说“征服者威廉”在册封骑士时，会用拳头轻轻击打骑士的面颊或脖子，而最常见的形式是用剑的平面轻拍骑士的肩膀。
accolade 就源自这种册封仪式，它来自拉丁语 accollare ，意思是“ embrace around the neck ”（拥抱脖子），由 ad （ to ）+ collum （ neck ）构成。英语单词 collar （领口）就来自拉丁语 collum 。
在现代，给冠军颁奖时，颁奖人员把奖牌挂在冠军的脖子上，或者抱着冠军的脖子亲吻面颊，可能也跟中世纪册封骑士的仪式有关。
从字面上的“拥抱”到骑士的封爵仪式，"accolade" 的含义逐渐演变为代表各种形式的赞扬或荣誉。