cachet

Where does the word "cachet" come from? It comes from Old French cacher, passing through French before entering English (1630s).

Cachet’s story begins in Old French: cacher meant “to press.” To press, later to hide. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in French as cachet. A seal; a royal 'lettre de cachet' could send someone to the Bastille without trial. It reached English by 1630s as cachet. From a seal of approval it came to mean prestige, by the 1840s. Today, cachet means prestige; a distinctive mark of quality.

1. Stage 1 · Old French · medieval cacher "to press", to press, later to hide.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1600s cachet "seal", a seal; a royal 'lettre de cachet' could send someone to the Bastille without trial.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1630s cachet "prestige", from a seal of approval it came to mean prestige, by the 1840s.