Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate
Tracing “”…
Where does the word "case" come from? It comes from Latin cadere, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "case" come from? It comes from Latin cadere, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).
Case’s story begins in Latin: cadere meant “to fall.” To fall, giving rise to casus (a fall, an event, an instance). By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as cas. Carried into French for a particular instance or situation. It reached English by 1200s as case. Settled as the English word for a particular instance, situation, or legal matter. Today, case means a particular instance or situation, or a matter under investigation or in court.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient cadere "to fall", to fall, giving rise to casus (a fall, an event, an instance).
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval cas "a particular instance or situation", carried into French for a particular instance or situation.
- Stage 3 · English · 1200s case "a particular instance, situation, or legal matter", settled as the English word for a particular instance, situation, or legal matter.