coffer
UK[ˈkɒfə]US[ˈkɔːfər]
n
A strong box or chest for holding money or valuables.
n
The funds or financial reserves of an organization, especially a government.
Etymology
The word 'coffer' entered English in the 13th century from the Old French 'coffre', meaning a chest or box. This Old French term derived from the Latin 'cophinus', which meant 'basket', and ultimately from the Greek 'kophinos', also signifying a basket. The semantic journey from a woven basket to a sturdy, lockable chest illustrates a logical evolution in the storage and safeguarding of goods, with the modern abstract sense of 'financial reserves' developing as a metaphorical extension of the physical container for valuables.
Analysis
The word 'coffer' is a simplex loanword from Old French. It is not productively segmented into smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern English.
Examples
The ancient coffer, bound with iron straps, was discovered in the castle vaults.
The municipal project was funded directly from the city's coffers.
They dipped into the company's coffers to finance the emergency repairs.