budget

Where does the word "budget" come from? It comes from Old French bougette, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).

Budget’s story begins in Old French: bougette meant “a small bag or pouch.” A small leather bag or pouch, a diminutive of bouge (bag). It reached English by 1400s as budget. Shifted from the bag itself to the contents, then to a financial plan. Today, budget means an estimate of income and expenditure over a set period.

1. Stage 1 · Old French · medieval bougette "a small bag or pouch", a small leather bag or pouch, a diminutive of bouge (bag).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1400s budget "a financial plan for income and spending", shifted from the bag itself to the contents, then to a financial plan.