Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cachet” come from?

Cachet comes from French cachet, from French cacher meaning "to hide," ultimately from Latin captio meaning "seizure" and ago meaning "to do or drive."

cachet (English): A seal, as of a letter; A special characteristic...

Definitions

  1. A seal, as of a letter; A special characteristic...

Ancestry of “cachet”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcachetseal; pill; cachet
2Frenchcacherto hide; Alternative spelling of casher
3Old Frenchcachierto hide; Alternative form of chacier
4Vulgar Latincoacticarepresent active infinitive of *coacticō
5Latincoactō—
6Latincoactusforced, compelled, having been forced; urged,...
7Latincōgō—
8Latincōn-—
9Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
10Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
11Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
12Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
13Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
14Middle Englishkyt—
15Germankitt—
16Old High Germankuti—
17Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
18Proto-Germanickweduzresin
Every word from Proto-Germanic kweduz →