Bureau
/ˈbjʊəroʊ/noun
An office or administrative department; also a desk with drawers.
Did you know?The word began as French for a coarse woolen cloth, then named the cloth-covered desk, and finally the office itself—proof that language can turn fabric into authority.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰer-
“to carry, bear”
Late Latin
Latin
bura
“a rough garment or shaggy cloth”
Old French
Old French
burel
“a coarse woolen cloth, brownish cloth”
14th Century
French
bureau
“a desk covered with such cloth; a writing desk”
17th Century
French
bureau
“an office or administrative department”
Modern English
English
bureau
“an office, department, or desk with drawers”