Mallette
/ma.lɛt/noun
A small trunk, case, or briefcase, especially in French usage; it is also used as a surname.
Did you know?Mallette is formed with the French diminutive suffix “-ette,” turning malle—“trunk” or “traveling chest”—into “little trunk.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*malhō
“A bag, pouch, or leather container”
Old High German
OHG
malha
“A bag or leather sack”
Old French
Old French
male
“A trunk, chest, or traveling case”
Middle French
French
malle
“A large chest or trunk for transporting possessions”
Modern French
French
mallette
“A small trunk, case, or briefcase”
Modern English
English
mallette
“A rare borrowing or surname derived from French”