English → Latin
“coffer” in Latin
cistaa trunk, a chest, a casketarcachest, box, coffer, safe (safe place for storing items, or anything of a similar shape); coffin (box for the dead); ark capsaA box, case, holder, repository; especially a cylindrical container for books; bookcase.aerāriuscopper, bronzeeunūchuseunucheffringōto break open or offarculaa small chest, box, casket or coffer; small perfume box or jewel casket; a windchest of an organprīvātusapart from the state; unofficial, private; peculiar, special, personal, individualfiscusbasket; purse; treasury; public money
The English word coffer itself goes back to Latin cophinus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
coffer
riscus ῥίσκος, of osier covered with skin. Ter., Eunuchus, 4, 6, 16, Ruhnken): cista (κιστη, chest or box of any kind, also for traveling; Vid: Hor., Ep., 1, 17, 54. who has cistam alicujui, effringere, break open): arca (for locking up money, etc.): capsa (for keeping from injury, loss, etc.) [Vid: BOX]: a small coffer, arcula, capsula.
COFFERS, by metonymy, for treasure (e. g, the king’s coffers), aerarium (privatum, Nep., Att., 8, 3): the emperor’s, fiscus (opposed to aerarium publicum, i. e., the public treasury): gaza (γάζα PROP., of the Persian kings, than the coffers of any foreign prince, Cic., Off., 2, 22, 76: Macedonum gaza, compare, Curt., 3, 13, 5: pecunia regia, quam gazam Persae vocant; and Mela, 1, 11: gaza. sic Persae aerarium vocant. Vid :, also TREASURE).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for coffer?
- The usual Latin words for “coffer” are cista, arca, capsa; also aerārius, eunūchus, effringō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.