cash

cash · noun, verb, adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*kap-“grasp”
2. Latin · derived fromcapsa“box”
3. Occitan · derived fromcaissa
4. Middle French · borrowed fromcaisse“money-box”
5. English todaycash

From late Middle French caisse (“money-box”), itself borrowed from Occitan caissa, from Latin capsa (“box”), ultimately from capiō (“take, seize”), from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“grasp”). Doublet of case, chase, and chasse. Compare Spanish caja (“box”).

cash · noun²

1. Portuguese · derived fromcas
2. Tamil · derived fromகாசு
3. English todaycash

Variant of earlier cass under influence from cash above, from Tamil காசு (kācu), ultimately from Sanskrit karsha ("weight of 1/400 tulā, तुला"). Extended to other similar forms of low-denomination coins in Southeast and East Asia following the example of cognate Portuguese cas, casse, caxa, caixa.

cash · verb³

See cashier.

Cash · proper noun⁴

Variant of Case. In the US adopted by German immigrants named Kirch and Kirsch.

Words from the same roots