cofre

Asturian

Etymology

From French coffre.

Noun

cofre m (plural cofres)

1. safe (box in which valuables can be locked for safekeeping)

Synonyms

• caxa fuerte

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Old Catalan cofre, from Old French cofre, from Latin cŏphĭnus (“basket, pan”), from Ancient Greek κόφινος (kóphinos). First attested in the 13th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈkɔ.fɾə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈko.fɾe]

Noun

cofre m (plural cofres or (also Valencia) cófrens)

1. chest, coffer (large box often used for storage)

Further reading

• “cofre”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], 2007 April
• “cofre” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “cofre” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• cofer, cofur, coffre, coffer, coffur, coofre, coofer, cophre

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French cofre, coffre, from Latin cophinus, from Ancient Greek κόφινος (kóphinos). Doublet of coffyn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɔfər/, /ˈkɔfrə/, /ˈkoː-/

Noun

cofre (plural cofres)

1. A coffer (box for valuables or money)
2. A supply or store of money.
3. A coffin; a box for burial.
4. Any container or cavity.
5. (rare) A place of secretion or hiding.

Related terms

• cofrer

Descendants

• English: coffer
• Scots: coffer
• Yola: koaver

References

• “cō̆fre, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Old French

Etymology

From Latin cophinus, from Ancient Greek κόφινος (kóphinos, “basket”).

Noun

cofre oblique singular, m (oblique plural cofres, nominative singular cofres, nominative plural cofre)

1. chest (large box often used for storage)

Descendants

• French: coffre
• Norman: côffre
• → Catalan: cofre
• → Middle English: cofre, cofer, cofur, coffre, coffer, coffur, coofre, coofer, cophre
  • English: coffer
  • Scots: coffer
  • Yola: koaver
• → Middle Dutch: coffer
  • → Middle High German: koffer
    • German: Koffer
      • → Polish: kufer
        • → Romanian: cufăr
      • → Serbo-Croatian: kufer
• → Irish: cófra
• → Portuguese: cofre
• → Spanish: cofre

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from French coffre. Doublet of côvão.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔ.fɾi/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔ.fɾi/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔ.fɾe/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔ.fɾɨ/

• Hyphenation: co‧fre

Noun

cofre m (plural cofres)

1. safe, coffer (box in which valuables can be locked for safekeeping)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from French coffre. Cognate with English coffer. Doublet of cuévano.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkofɾe/ [ˈko.fɾe]
• Rhymes: -ofɾe
• Syllabification: co‧fre

Noun

cofre m (plural cofres)

1. chest, coffer, trunk

   Synonyms: baúl, arca, arcón, arqueta

2. safe

   Synonym: caja fuerte

3. bonnet, hood (engine compartment of a car)

   Synonyms: capó, bonete, capirote

Usage notes

• The difference between baúl and cofre are twofold. In terms of use, cofres are used almost exclusively to safeguard objects of value kind of like a treasure chest, whereas baúles can be used in such a way but are typically used just to store objects a person has no immediate use for such as old clothes.

In terms of appearance, a cofre has a convex or rounded cover and thus is not always entirely synonymous with English coffer. A baúl can have any kind of shape. Thus, a cofre is a type of baúl. In terms of English, more often than not, you could only translate trunk as baúl, but you could translate either baúl or cofre for chest. A baúl you might bring with you on a trip to transport your belongings, but you don't travel with a cofre unless you are a pirate who finds a cofre de tesoro (“treasure chest”) and brings it aboard your ship.

Derived terms

• cofre de tesoro
• cofre del tesoro
• pez cofre

Related terms

• cofradía

See also

• baúl m
• cajuela f
• joroba f
• maleta f
• maletera f
• maletero m
• valija f
• valijera f

Further reading

• “cofre”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10
• “cofre”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010
• “cofre”, in Diccionario del español de México, Segunda edición, Academia Mexicana de la Lengua, 2019