Banca
/ˈbæŋ.kə/noun
A bank, especially in Italian usage; in English, the word can also denote a small Filipino outrigger canoe.
Did you know?Medieval moneychangers conducted business from benches, which is why the same Germanic root produced both “bank” and “bench”; a failed banker could be declared bankrupt—literally, with his bench broken.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*bankiz
“A bench or raised ridge”
7th Century
Latin
banca
“A bench or counter, borrowed from a Germanic source”
Middle Ages
Old Italian
banca
“A bench, especially a moneychanger’s table”
13th–14th Century
Italian
banca
“A banking establishment or moneychanger’s business”
16th–17th Century
Spanish/Philippine usage
banca
“A small boat or canoe, probably influenced by regional Austronesian boat vocabulary”
Modern English
English
banca
“A bank in Italian contexts, or a small Filipino outrigger canoe”