Treasury
/ˈtrɛʒ.ər.i/noun
A government department or place where money, valuables, or records are kept.
Did you know?Treasury comes through Old French from Latin *thesaurus*, the same root behind *thesaurus* and ultimately Greek *thēsauros*, meaning a storehouse or treasure-hoard — a word that once meant a secret cache of wealth, not a boring office.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheh₁-
“to put, place, set”
Ancient Greek
Greek
thēsauros
“a storehouse, treasure hoard, or place where valuables are kept”
Latin
Latin
thesaurus
“a treasure, store of valuables, or hoard”
Old French
Old French
tresorie
“a treasury or place where treasure is kept”
Middle English
English
treasorie
“a treasury, treasure house, or collection of valuables”
Modern English
English
treasury
“a government department responsible for public finances or a place where money is held”