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Origin and history of fiscal

fiscal(adj.)

1560s, "pertaining to public revenue," from French fiscal, from Late Latin fiscalis "of or belonging to the state treasury," from Latin fiscus "state treasury," originally "money bag, purse, basket made of twigs (in which money was kept)," which is of unknown origin. The etymological notion is of the public purse. The general sense of "financial" (1865, American English) was abstracted from phrases fiscal calendar, fiscal year, etc. Related: Fiscally.

also from 1560s

Entries linking to fiscal

confiscate(v.)

1550s, "to appropriate for or adjudge to be forfeit to the treasury," in reference to the goods or estate of a traitor or criminal, from Latin confiscatus, past participle of confiscare, from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + fiscus "public treasury," originally "money basket, wicker basket" (see fiscal). Caxton (late 15c.) Englished French confisquer as confisk. The broader sense "take from another by or as if by authority" is attested by 1819. Related: Confiscated; confiscating.

confiscation(n.)

"act of appropriating as forfeit," 1540s, from French confiscation, from Latin confiscationem (nominative confiscatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of confiscare, from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + fiscus "public treasury" (see fiscal).

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