sack
UK[sæk]US[sæk]
n
A large bag made of a strong material such as burlap, used for storing and carrying goods.
n
Dismissal from employment.
v
To dismiss someone from employment.
v
To plunder and destroy a captured town or building.
Etymology
The word 'sack' has a complex journey through trade and conquest. It originates from the Phoenician or Hebrew word 'saq', meaning a coarse cloth or bag, which passed into Greek as 'sakkos' and then into Latin as 'saccus'. This Latin term entered Old English via two routes: directly from ecclesiastical Latin and later via Old French 'sac'. The meaning of "dismissal" (to get the sack) is 19th-century slang, likely from the idea of a craftsman taking his tools away in a sack upon being fired. The violent meaning "to plunder" derives from the phrase "to put to sack," referring to soldiers filling their bags with loot from a captured city, a usage dating to the 16th century.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword. It entered English from Old French, which borrowed it from Latin, which in turn borrowed it from a Mediterranean or Near Eastern language. Its core meaning of "bag" or "pouch" has remained remarkably stable.
Examples
He carried the potatoes in a heavy burlap sack.
The company gave him the sack after the merger.
The invading army proceeded to sack the ancient city.