cash

Where does the word "cash" come from? It comes from Latin capere, passing through Latin, Italian and French before entering English (1590s).

Cash’s story begins in Latin: capere meant “to take, hold.” The verb 'to take, hold', giving rise to a noun for a box. Within Latin, it grew into capsa by ancient. A container word derived from the grasping verb. From there it passed into Italian as cassa by medieval. Narrowed to a money box used in trade. French picked it up next, as caisse, around 1500s. Borrowed for the same money-box sense. It reached English by 1590s as cash. Shifted from the box itself to the money kept inside it. Today, cash means money in the form of coins or notes.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient capere "to take, hold", the verb 'to take, hold', giving rise to a noun for a box.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient capsa "a box", a container word derived from the grasping verb.
3. Stage 3 · Italian · medieval cassa "a money box", narrowed to a money box used in trade.
4. Stage 4 · French · 1500s caisse "a money box", borrowed for the same money-box sense.
5. Stage 5 · English · 1590s cash "money in hand, coin", shifted from the box itself to the money kept inside it.