Two Cases: One From Falling, One From a Box
A case is an instance or a legal matter, and also a container. English has two separate words here.
A case is an instance, a legal matter or a medical patient, and also a container. The two are separate words. The instance comes from Latin *casus*, a falling, from *cadere*, to fall — a case is literally how something falls out. The container is Latin *capsa*, a box, which also gives *capsule* and *cash*. Grammatical *case* is the first word too, translating Greek *ptosis*, a falling, for how a noun's form falls into place.
- An instance. *In this case.*
- A legal matter. *A court case.*
- A container. *A suitcase.*
- Grammatical case. *The genitive case.*
- Latin — *casus*, a falling. *The first sense.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | case | A case. |
| Plural | cases | Cases. |
| Verb | case | Cased. |
| Compound | suitcase | A suitcase. |
| Latin | capsa | A box. |
- In that case, we should wait.Instance.
- The case goes to court.Law.
- Pack it in the case.Container.
The falling family
- Case — how something falls out, an instance
- Accident — from *accidere*, to befall
- Occasion — from *occidere*, to fall down or happen
- Cadence — a falling of the voice
- Decay — a falling away
The instance is Latin *casus*, a falling, from *cadere*. The container is Latin *capsa*, a box.
Are the two cases related?
No. The instance comes from Latin casus, a falling. The container comes from capsa, a box.
Why is grammatical case called that?
It translates Greek ptosis, a falling, describing how a noun's form falls into a particular role.