Etymology Map
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Dossier

3 stages from French to English.

Today it means a collection of documents about a person or subject

Where does the word "dossier" come from? It comes from French dos, passing through French before entering English (1880s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
dos
French · medieval
"back"
the back, from Latin 'dorsum'
2
Stage 2 of 3
dossier
French · 1800s
"file of papers"
a bundle of papers labelled on its back
3
Stage 3 of 3
dossier
English · 1880s
"file"
the Dreyfus affair of the 1890s, built on a secret dossier, made it widely known
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Read the full story

Dossier’s story begins in French: dos meant “back.” The back, from Latin 'dorsum'. Within French, it grew into dossier by 1800s. A bundle of papers labelled on its back. It reached English by 1880s as dossier. The Dreyfus affair of the 1890s, built on a secret dossier, made it widely known. Today, dossier means a collection of documents about a person or subject.