Etymograph

English

ballotin

Ballotin comes from French ballotin ‘a small, elegant box, usually of cardboard,…’, from ballot ‘bundle’, and ultimately from Old French bale.

  1. Old Frenchc. 842–1400bale‘rolled-up bundle, packet of goods’
  2. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600balle‘large bundle, package’
  3. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘bundle tied together with string’
  4. French, derivedc. 1600–presentballot‘bundle’diminutive of balle
  5. French, derivedc. 1600–presentballotin‘a small, elegant box, usually of cardboard, containing pralines (chocolate)’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1656same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Old Frenchc. 842–1400bale‘rolled-up bundle, packet of goods’
  2. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600balle‘large bundle, package’
  3. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘bundle tied together with string’
  4. French, derivedc. 1600–presentballot‘bundle’diminutive of balle
  5. French, derivedc. 1600–presentballotin‘a small, elegant box, usually of cardboard, containing pralines (chocolate)’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1656same form

Earliest quotation: 1656, James Harrington: “one Secretary or Ballotin with a red Box shall…”

Linked words

through Old French bale ‘rolled-up bundle, packet of goods’

bale, 2 more

Today it means

noun A small, elegant box (usually containing chocolates).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Old French bale / ballotin

Shirt and support for this word