Etymologically
Log in

treasury

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 10:45. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈtɹɛʒ.ə.ɹi/ (UK); /ˈtɹɛʒ.ɚ.i/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English tresorie, borrowed from Old French tresorie (“treasury”),[2][3][4] from tresor (“treasure”) (see treasure) and -y,[2][3] after Medieval Latin thesauraria.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A room or building where treasure is kept: about 1290 in the OED,[6] about 1300 in Etymonline.[2]

Semantic evolution

Figuratively, a storehouse or collection of treasures, as of knowledge, is from about 1384.[6] The department of state that controls public revenue is from the late 14th century, about 1383 in the OED, and is now written with a capital.[2][6] The place where public revenues are kept and paid out is from 1706,[2][6] and the Treasury bill from 1797.[2] In theatre slang the treasury was the actors' weekly pay (1885).[6] Old English had māþmhūs for a treasure room and feohhūs for a treasury.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 1290 – a treasure room.[6]
  • c. 1383 – the government department.[6]
  • c. 1384 – a storehouse of treasures.[6]
  • 1706 – a place for public revenues.[2][6]
  • 1797 – Treasury bill.[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. the Treasury: the government department responsible for public finance and revenue.
  2. The funds of a government, organization or person.
  3. A place where valuable things are kept.
  4. A collection of valuable or delightful things: a treasury of verse.

Word family

  • subtreasury
  • Treasury bill
  • treasury bond
  • treasury certificate
  • treasury note
  • treasury stock

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press